Attempted Murder Suspect Wanted In Lakewood

LAKEWOOD, WA - Police are actively searching for the man who allegedly shot his ex-wife six times at the Best Value Inn last Friday. Leon Franklin Murray, 43, is considered armed and dangerous and should not be approached.

The search for Murray began immediately following the shooting at 4215 Sharondale St. SW just after 7:30 p.m. Feb. 15.

According to a Probable Cause affidavit obtained by Patch, Lakewood police were dispatched to the inn on a report of a shooting and an injured woman. When they arrived, officers located one female victim on the ground in the parking lot.

The woman had reportedly sustained between three and six gunshot wounds in her right leg, lower abdomen, and chest. The woman was in "extreme distress," police said, but she was nonetheless capable of identifying her attacker as her ex-husband, Murray.

Additionally, the victim told police Murray said, "You made me do this," just before he shot her.

While medical personnel provided aid and quickly got the woman to hospital, officers began interviewing the multiple witnesses present when the shooting occurred.

One man told police he'd just gotten to the inn and was preparing to check into a room when the woman ran around the corner of the building followed by Murray. The witness said he watched Murray chase the woman around his car before grabbing her and pushing her into a nearby wall.

The man said he got out of his car and shouted at Murray to stop, but Murray turned and raised a black handgun, pointing it directly at the man. At that, the man said he took off running; a few moments later he reportedly heard multiple gunshots.

Another witness described having a similar experience when he heard Murray and the woman shouting by the corner of the building.

The second witness told police he'd walked toward the fighting couple when he realized the man was holding a gun, but that Murray saw him and again raised the pistol in the witness' direction. The witness said he fled back to his room and later heard the gunshots.

One other witness identified in court documents said he heard the gunshots from his room at the inn, so he turned out his lights and looked out the window. In the parking lot the witness saw Murray running with a pistol in his hand, he said, adding that Murray put the gun into his waistband as he crossed the lot.

Around 9:30 p.m. the next day, Feb. 16, police stopped a vehicle that was pulling away from Murray's home. The driver was reportedly Murray's roommate.

The roommate told police he'd just seen Murray less than a half-hour before they arrived, and that Murray had come into their home highly agitated and woke him up, frantically yelling something about a gun.

The roommate told police Murray was carrying a mason jar that contained cannabis and that he was clearly upset, though he wasn't sure as to why.

The roommate said he was just leaving to go look for Murray when police stopped him.

Murray is described as a black man, standing 5-foot-11, at about 195 pounds.

Anyone who sees Murray is advised to call either the Lakewood police tip line at 253-830-5064 or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS. Tips can also be submitted online at the city of Lakewood's website.

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Image via Lakewood Police Department