Home hit with gunfire, bullet narrowly misses family



DES MOINES, Wash. – One South King County family is still reeling after someone fired bullets into their home late Wednesday night.

It happened in the new Blueberry Lane subdivision just south of SeaTac airport. Miraculously, one of the bullets narrowly missed a father and his 12-year-old son.

Kojo Ward tries to keep activities as normal as possible for his 12-year-old boy. Andrew has autism and his dad says what happened Wednesday night still has the boy scared.

“He was clearly shaken up, didn’t want to the loft this morning when he woke up,” said Ward. “He wanted to stay in the bedroom. It took a lot to convince him it’s okay.”

Ward says the incident happened around 9 p.m. while he was hanging out with his son in their upstairs loft when he heard gunshots.

“The fifth time I heard I looked up and I saw my wall shatter,” he said.

There was still debris on the furniture near where police say a bullet ripped through Ward’s home – narrowly missing Ward and his boy.

“If I had been here I would have been right in the line of sight,” said Ward.

Both investigators and the homeowner say they don’t know why anyone would target the victim, let alone with gunfire.

The Des Moines Police Department says if the shooter’s aim had been off by only a few inches this could have been a homicide investigation.

“Inside I’m just a raging bull,” said Ward. “I have so much emotions going on inside of me.”

Incredibly, the bullet didn’t stop at the first wall. One bullet went through the entire upstairs, passing through his son’s closet.

Des Moines police are investigating the incident – they call the shooting isolated and describe ward’s neighborhood as usually nice and quiet.

Also since Ward is a single father the endless worry about what could have happened is what’s kept him awake at night.

“The thought of me leaving him without his world would be just painful,” said Ward.

Police are urging anyone who might have information in the case to come forward before something like this happens again. If you know anything, you’re asked to call investigators at 206-878-3301.