Woman charged with murder at Renton homeless encampment

RENTON — A 30-year-old Renton woman was arrested in Tacoma Monday, two weeks after she is accused of shooting a friend to death in a Renton homeless encampment with a high-powered pellet gun used to hunt rats, according to King County prosecutors.

Kelcey Gornowich, who goes by the name “Loki,” was charged Tuesday with murder, The Seattle Times reported. She is being held in the King County Jail in lieu of $1 million bail, jail records show.

Gornowich is accused of shooting 27-year-old Rylee Marks with a Daisy Powerline 1000 pellet gun. The pellet Marks was shot with entered his chest and pierced his heart, the charges say.

Renton officers were called to a sprawling lot just before 12:30 p.m. on Feb. 16, charges say. The lot is a long-term homeless encampment well known to police.

Marks died at the scene. Gornowich fled the encampment where she lived in a tent.

Witnesses told officers that before the shooting, Marks arrived at the encampment, was intoxicated and yelling loudly. Gornowich, who had been friends with Marks since 2007, was apparently angry and frustrated with Marks and told him to leave the encampment, firing at least two warning shots. Marks was gathering his belongings when Gornowich fired a third shot, striking him, the charges say.

It wasn’t immediately known if Gornowich has a lawyer.