By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – The man fatally shot in the woods south of Randle last week died from a gunshot wound to the head, the Lewis County Coroner’s Office said today.
Dusty Phelps, 51, encountered a 63-year-old Glenoma man and his wife in their vehicle in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest on July 4. The man, whose name has not been released, said he fired one round in self defense.
Phelps was camping on Forest Service Road 2801 off Cispus Road and the couple drove into his camp site to contact him about discharging firearms in an unsafe manner, the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office has said.
The sheriff’s office said the Glenoma man called 911 and described what preceded him using his weapon this way:
“(T)he decedent approached the driver side door of their vehicle and produced a firearm, firing multiple shots, to include one round into their interior of the vehicle.”
The sheriff’s office has not revealed what types of guns were involved.
Coroner Warren McLeod has concluded the death is a homicide, but no arrest has been made. The sheriff’s office has said once the investigation is complete, they will forward it to the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office for review.
•••
For background, read “Randle homicide: Glenoma man says he fired one round after camper shot into his vehicle” from Friday July 7, 2017, here
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
Hey, some of these situations might well provide grist for Brandy Clarke’s upcoming peckerwood balladeering sagas.
Who cares it’s the 4th of July discharge your guns, have a ball. What an idiot! chances are slim a bullet will hit u at random. When they do seek medical help or move your damn tent. i think the guy was feeling extra manly being out doors with the mrs having a wiener roast. He had to investigate and instigate. It’s true Dead men tell no tales. Charge the dumb mfr!!!! Glenoma is still living in the Wild West. Who is to say what went down. I’m sure the glenoma man was being an asshole or he wouldn’t have gotten a bullet in the dashboard. He had no moral obligation to confront the man. Better yet stay at your campsite join the celebration and let a few rounds off in the air yourself!! It’s Independence Day! Relax and smoke a joint – prohibition is over! Your gun rights are under attack, if you’d just quit killing each other you might be able to keep your granddads deer huntin rifle.
That’s a tough one. I don’t fault the man for confronting this shooter, but I wouldn’t have done it. This is a situation were the risk of escalation is very high. The chances aren’t high that shooter is going to take the your advice but are likely that he is in a blackout drunk and is going to go nuts on you.
Unfortunately the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, which used to have 2 LE officers on the north end, now has no permanent officers out of Randle. Like another commenter has stated, it might be a long time before you get a response to 911 in that area.
The holidays, especially the 4th of July, brings out the crazies to the national forest. My advice: If you have any conflict with your camping neighbor, immediately pick up your tent and move about 20 miles away. It’s just not worth it.
When some apparent mental defective is discharging a firearm with willful dangerous disregard for others, the bullet trajectory travels along way – often into spaces occupied by others. Legally, who ever discharges a bullet wantonly, owns it and any ramifications that may result.
He got what he deserved.
I can understand why he made contact rather than calling 911. Consider this. He’s a local guy out enjoying the river with the Mrs and sees or hears someone target practicing in what he knows to be an unsafe direction. He may have figured it was just a Tacoma or Seattle idiot who was unaware of his surroundings and campers. Rather than call 911 and wait an hour for a cop to contact him, just drive over and let him know there’s better places to target practice. There’s no conspiracy to letting someone know he’s doing something unsafe to others. He may have just been trying to do the right thing never expecting to get shot at. There’s still folks out there who rather not call the government for something they can do themselves. That it ended up going so badly, is very tragic.
U dive u & ur wife into an unsafe weapons situation without calling the proper Authorities untill after the fact. It’s not adding up.
So a man notices unsafe gunfire (in his opinion) but instead of calling the proper Authority, he decides to Drive him & his wife into an unsafe situation & call The Authorities afterwards. NOT MAKING SENSE.