JBLM soldier wanted in connection with man's shooting in Lakewood surrenders to police

LAKEWOOD, Wash. -- A JBLM soldier wanted in connection with the shooting of a man in Lakewood surrendered to police Thursday night.

Jesse Suhanec knocked on the door of a house in the 15200 block of Fern Street SW in Tillicum and told the occupants he was wanted by police. The couple living at the hosue let him in and call 911, police said.

"Suhanec was cooperative and taken into custody without incident," Lakewood police Lt. Chris Lawler said. "He told the couple he had been hiding and knew he was wanted.

"He is now in police custody and will be interviewed by detectives," Lawler said.

Police added later that a weapon was recovered.

The shooting happened Thursday morning when a man was found shot in Lakewood. Officials with West Pierce Fire said the victim in the shooting suffered multiple gunshot wounds. He was taken in critical condition to St. Joseph's Medical Center in Tacoma.

Lakewood police said later that the shooting occurred  in the 15200 block of Grant Avenue SW in the Tillicum area of Lakewood.  It was determined that the victim drove himself to the parking lot of a Popeye’s Restaurant in the 15200 block of Union Avenue, where he collapsed in his vehicle.

As the suspect fled, he attempted to steal two cars at gunpoint, but was unsuccessful, police said.

SWAT teams, K-9 teams, police officers, a marine unit and air units looked for the suspect until 3:30 p.m., but he was not located.

Police said the investigation revealed that the suspect arrived in a white van with government plates and abandoned the vehicle at the scene when he fled.  The van belongs to the U.S. Army and was checked out by an active-duty soldier.  That soldier was missing from the base and took a privately owned firearm with him.  The soldier was identified as 22-year-old Jesse Matthew Suhanec, who is considered a person of interest.  Suhanec fit the description of the shooter and is still missing from JBLM, police said.

The motive for the shooting is unknown at this time.