Deputies say drunk man fired handgun indiscriminately into crowd of partiers near Orting, hitting one

ORTING, Wash. – Deputies say a man told them he decided to fire at random into a crowd of people at a Pierce County house party Friday after seeing people he believed were members of a gang that killed one of his friends.

Isaiah Tyre Bickham was charged with first-degree assault; drive-by shooting; felony harassment; driving while intoxicated; no ignition interlock device; third-degree drive while suspended; and minor appearing in public showing signs of intoxication.

Deputies said he nearly hit a Washington State Patrol car as he was drunkenly speeding away, and that he became belligerent during his arrest, cursing and telling one deputy he’d be nothing without a badge and a gun.

Bickham told deputies that he was at the party in the 160000 block of 264th St. E. near Orting when he saw people he thought were members of the East Side Pirus. Court documents say he went out to his car, got a gun, then got in an altercation when he came back inside and began “indiscriminately firing his 9mm handgun into the crowd,” then ran away from the party while blindly firing behind him.

On person was shot in the right arm, but the bullet travelled the length of his chest and ended up in his left arm.

When Bickham was pulled over on suspicion of DUI near 148th and Meridian after nearly ramming the WSP car, deputies say, they noticed he matched the shooter’s description and found a black Glock handgun and an empty magazine.