LONGVIEW — A Longview man was arrested Sunday evening on suspicion of first-degree assault after deputies were called to a reported shooting near the intersection of Pacific Way and Coal Creek Road that morning.
Cowlitz County sheriff’s deputies arrived just before 9 a.m. where witnesses said two men in a dark blue passenger car had stopped and one of the men fired shots into a parked Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Although both vehicles were gone when deputies arrived, broken glass and 9mm bullet casings were recovered at the scene, according to a Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office press release issued Tuesday.
The owner of the parked Jeep, a 49-year-old Longview resident, later met up with deputies and said he had been sleeping in his vehicle when he heard a male pounding on the vehicle and asking, “Is anyone home?” the release said. The victim told deputies that when he answered, the man fired a gun into the car. The victim said he ducked to avoid injury.
Not long after, Deputy Caity Neill began investigating a report of threatening videos allegedly made by Austin Qualls, a 19-year-old Longview man. According to the release, Qualls had posted videos to Instagram where he was seen with several firearms, including a 9mm pistol. Deputies noted that Qualls also matched the physical and clothing descriptions given by witnesses to the earlier shooting incident.
Qualls reportedly told the victim, “I’ve got a gun and I’m coming down there to shoot you,” and the reporting party, also a 19-year old Longview resident, believed Qualls intended to shoot him, the release said.
Qualls fled when deputies attempted to contact him at his residence Sunday but was soon located and arrested, the release said. Deputies also recovered the 9mm pistol, which contained ammunition matching that found at the scene of the earlier shooting and the video, the sheriff’s office said.
Qualls reportedly admitted to both the shooting at Pacific Way and Coal Creek Road and to making the later threats during an interview with the sheriff’s office. He did not give a reason as to why he shot the vehicle, the release said.
Qualls is currently held at the Cowlitz County jail on suspicion of drive-by shooting, first-degree assault, harassment, death threats, obstructing a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest. During a first appearance Tuesday at the Jail courtroom, Superior Court Judge Michael Evans set Qualls’ bail at $50,000.
This investigation is ongoing. The sheriff’s office asks that anyone with information about either incident to contact Deputy Neill at 360-577-3092.
