KENNEWICK — The shotgun Ryan J. Kaufman used to break open the doors at two Kennewick union halls is linked to the deaths of his parents, according to Kennewick police.
An update released Tuesday on the Aug. 25 deadly rampage shows that shell casings recovered from the home of Vickie and Daniel Kaufman and from arson scenes at two union buildings were fired from the same shotgun.
The older Kaufmans were found dead inside their South Gum Street home about six hours after a pickup led police on a chase around Benton County before going up in flames in the middle of West Richland.
The driver of the truck had exchanged gunfire with four officers while the pickup was on fire.
Authorities have not confirmed that it was Ryan Kaufman who died inside the truck.
The mayhem is believed to have started earlier that morning in either Kennewick or Finley, where Kaufman’s house and his neighbor’s home were set on fire.
Emil “Bob” Zlatich Jr., 77, was found dead inside his burning home, while his 58-year-old son, Emil “Bobby” Zlatich III, was discovered by deputies in the backyard with two gunshot wounds.
He is recovering after surgery in a Spokane hospital. His son Bo Zlatich also was there but wasn’t hurt.
Benton County sheriff’s detectives and fire officials are investigating what happened there.
Kennewick detectives are investigating the Kaufmans’ murders and the union building fires.
And detectives with the Regional Special Investigations Unit are in charge of the officer-involved shooting in West Richland.
Forensic testing
Kaufman, 43, lived next to the Zlatich family for almost 20 years. He worked as an electrician and was a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
He broke into IBEW union buildings on Edison Street and Gage Boulevard at some point that morning and set fires.
The fires started in the entryways with burning gas cans, a business representative with Local 112 told the Tri-City Herald.
Kennewick police said Tuesday that they used the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, or NIBIN, to run forensic tests on recovered shotgun shell casings.
The NIBIN program determines if casings were fired from the same firearm.
Police said in Tuesday’s news release that Ryan Kaufman was in possession of a shotgun at the IBEW building on Edison.
The shotgun was used to “breach the exterior doors of the buildings to gain entry,” the release said, referring to both the Edison hall and Gage training center.
Meanwhile, detectives continue to evaluate evidence collected from his parents’ house, the release said.
Investigators have not said when they believe Vickie, 68, and Dan Kaufman, 75, died.
No one called 911 to report hearing any gunshots or seeing the fire that caused extensive damage inside their house, Lt. Jason Kiel previously said.
Police are asking neighbors on the 4300 block of Gum Street to check their surveillance cameras for people coming and going in the neighborhood between 3:30 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. Aug. 25.
