Lewis County Sirens.com

Updated at 12:40 p.m.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Police believe David Wayne Carson was shot twice in the chest with a 9 mm handgun yesterday on B Street in Centralia.

Carson was dead inside the home after police and aid responded to calls just before 3 o’clock yesterday afternoon.

Carson, 43, is a Centralia resident.

The 29-year-old man who lives there – Weston G. Miller – fled before police arrived and was found soon after, driving a pickup truck on Big Hanaford Road, according to police. He was taken into custody without incident, police reported.

Miller was arrested and booked yesterday evening for first-degree murder.

Police haven’t revealed what they learned about what transpired inside the house or led to the shooting.

Officers searched the home yesterday and found a 9 mm handgun, which they believe was used to shoot Carson, according to the Centralia Police Department. They also found several other firearms, Officer John Panco said in a news release this morning.

Later today, police plan to search Miller’s truck to look for more evidence, Panco said.

Panco said a 9 mm is bigger than a .22 but not as big as a .45 – police usually carry a .40 or .45, he said.

“We think a total of three bullets were fired,” Panco said.

Two struck Carson in the chest, according to Panco.

Carson and his girlfriend had been staying at the house and were getting ready to move out, according to his younger brother, Dan Carson.

Dan Carson said his brother worked at Hardel plywood in Chehalis until a couple of years ago. Before that, he had a job in California taking care of expensive show dogs, he said. They both grew up in Centralia, he said.

Miller is expected to go before a judge this afternoon in Lewis County Superior Court.

An autopsy is scheduled for tomorrow.

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Correction: This story has been updated to reflect correctly the size of firearm Officer Panco said Centralia police usually carry.

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For background, read “Breaking news: Man fatally shot in Centralia, suspect arrested” from Tuesday March 13, 2012 at 6:36 p.m., here

Police wait for a search warrant before going back inside a house on the 900 block of B Street where a man was shot dead.

Updated at 7 p.m. and 7:15 p.m.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CENTRALIA – A 43-year-old local man is dead of a gunshot and Centralia police are questioning a suspect this afternoon.

Officers and aid were called just before 3 p.m. to a home on B Street, just north of East Third Street about someone being shot.

When paramedics were sent inside to check him, there were no signs of life, according to responders.

Centralia Police Department spokesperson Officer John Panco said he did not know if the suspect or the dead man lived at the house.

A suspect was picked up soon after by officers – driving in the Big Hanaford area and is being interviewed at the police station, Panco said.

His identity hasn’t been released and won’t be unless he is arrested, Panco said.

Crime scene tape was strung blocking access to a light green house with a pink bicycle and a black barbecue on its porch while officers conferenced outside with one another this afternoon.

Monique Camoza who works in an office across the street said she saw several people coming out of the house before police arrived, including a  screaming woman asking where the ambulance was, because “he’s dying.”

Although an arriving officer told her to stay out, she went back inside saying, “He doesn’t want to die alone,” Camoza said.

Officer Panco said he had no idea what transpired or who was inside the house before it happened.

Several people were being interviewed at the station, Panco said late this afternoon.

Across the street neighbor Lane Jolly said he didn’t hear anything but he knew the home’s resident, a man in his late 20s or early 30s who has resided there for seven or eight years.

He has a daughter who doesn’t live with him and seems to be a very good and very proud father, Jolly said.

He used to be a “high angle welder” but got injured, Jolly said.

“The last six months, things kinda went south for him,” Jolly said.

He’d been having a lot of trouble lately with people stealing things from him, he said.

“It’s a sad deal,” Jolly said, believing his across-the-street neighbor to be the man in custody.

Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer and his Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecutor Brad Meagher arrived not long after police.

They and commanding officers, including Chief Bob Berg were soon huddled in crime scene response vehicle, writing a search warrant so they could back inside, according to Panco.

Just after 7 p.m., the police department announced Weston G. Miller was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail for first-degree murder.

Miller, 29, is the resident of the green house in question, according to Panco.

The victim is also a Centralia resident, but police did not release his name.

Panco said that’s the coroner’s office responsibility and he expected they would do that after next-of-kin are notified.

Centralia police investigate fatal shooting on B Street