The Kitsap County Coroner’s Office has identified the victim of Friday night’s shooting in Suquamish as 28-year-old Trent R. Snyder.
A 28-year-old Suquamish man was arrested Friday night following the shooting, which occurred in the 7000 block of NE Tundra Way. Officials with the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office said William Benson Black was apprehended in Kingston after fleeing the scene of the shooting.
According to a press release from the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office, around 9:50 p.m. patrol deputies and patrol officers from the Suquamish Police Department responded to reports of gunshots. After arriving on scene, officers found Snyder unresponsive inside a four-door Lexus sedan, having sustained multiple gunshot injuries. Life saving efforts proved unsuccessful.
Although the investigation is still in its early stages, the release states that it appears the attack resulted from a jealous dispute between Black and Snyder — both of whom had a relationship with a 23-year-old Suquamish woman. Black, who was the woman’s current boyfriend, has a child with her, as did Snyder from a prior relationship.
The three adults and two children had eaten dinner together at a local restaurant earlier Friday afternoon, but after looking through the woman’s phone, Black became upset upon discovering she had been communicating with Snyder.
In hopes of resolving the dispute, the woman called Snyder and invited him over to their home in Suquamish. Black was reportedly aware that Snyder would be coming to the house and waited on the front deck until he arrived.
According to the release, when Snyder arrived, “Black ran toward the vehicle. The woman stated that she heard gunshots. The woman didn’t know that Black had a firearm in his possession, nor did she observe Black fire the gun. She reported that she witnessed Black approach the vehicle and that she heard gunshots.”
Investigators managed to locate three .40-caliber shell casings in the roadway near Snyder’s vehicle.
Kitsap County Sheriff’s Deputy Scott Wilson said after fleeing the scene in a two-door Honda Civic, Black was apprehended by law enforcement along NE Nature Way in Kingston, off of Parcells Road NE. A .40-caliber handgun was found on Black’s person at the time of his arrest.
Black is being held on $1 million bail for murder in the second degree. He is set to appear in court on Monday at 3 p.m.
An official with the Kitsap County Coroner’s Office said an autopsy would would be performed on Monday to officially determine the cause and manner of death.
