by Bill Lucia, Washington State Standard
September 27, 2025
A gunman shot and killed an employee at Eastern State Hospital early Saturday morning, according to the Spokane County sheriff’s office.
The suspect exchanged gunfire with police and was also pronounced dead on the scene, the sheriff’s office said. He was reportedly wearing tactical-type gear, and a rifle and handgun were found near him.
Eastern State Hospital is one of two state-run psychiatric hospitals for adults in Washington and is located in Medical Lake, Washington, west of Spokane.
“Preliminary information indicates that this armed suspect is believed to have been acting erratically in Medical Lake and possibly involved in three incidents that occurred in the same general time frame,” the sheriff’s office said.
These reports described a man making “wild statements,” including about aliens.
Firefighters responded to a brush fire around midnight and encountered a man yelling and acting aggressively. They requested police assistance, but the sheriff’s office said the man left the scene before deputies arrived.
Around 1:40 a.m., police received a call about a man with a rifle who entered a home and fired several shots as uninjured occupants hid.
About 15 minutes later, a caller reported the Eastern State Hospital employee had been shot in the hospital’s parking lot. The suspect took the employee’s radio and began transmitting messages over it about “an army coming,” police said.
Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, which operates the hospital, said in a statement Saturday afternoon that all patients and other employees were accounted for and that a lockdown had been lifted.
The department said it was “working closely with local law enforcement and Governor Ferguson’s office in response to this incident.”
“Our hearts are heavy today as we grieve the violent and tragic loss of one of our employees at Eastern State Hospital,” the agency added. “We send our heartfelt support to the victim’s loved ones and to our dedicated employees and patients who are affected by this loss.”
A department spokesperson also forwarded a statement from Gov. Bob Ferguson. Ferguson, who left Thursday on out-of-state travel expected to run through Oct. 9, said he was “meeting with the team as we learn more about what happened.”
“My condolences to the victim and their family, and my heart goes out to the staff,” the governor added. “We’re working to ensure our hardworking team at Eastern State has the support that they need.”
Washington Federation of State Employees President Mike Yestramski said in a statement that “We grieve the tragic loss of life of an Eastern State Hospital employee who was murdered by an active shooter overnight at work.”
“Senseless acts of violence like this have become an all too common reality these days,” he added.
This story was updated with statements provided by the Department of Social and Health Services.
Washington State Standard is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Washington State Standard maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Bill Lucia for questions: info@washingtonstatestandard.com.