On the evening of April 14, 2022, tragedy struck when James-David Joseph Algarin allegedly opened fire on two homeless women in Kent, Washington.
The Washington State Prosecutors have charged the suspect on Friday, April 21 with two counts of attempted murder in the first-degree and have stated they are asking that he be held on a bond of $1.5 million.
The shootings have been linked to one another, and police records show that at 11:01 P.M., they responded to an emergency call saying that someone had heard gunshots and saw a red vehicle drive away from the area. When arriving at the scene, officials discovered the victim, struck multiple times in the chest and back.
The woman reportedly remembered being picked up by someone near a 7-Eleven in the region who had a holstered handgun by his side. It is believed that her refusal of his advances spurred the attack, and surveillance footage shows Algarin aiming his weapon at her as she attempted to flee.
The second attack occurred at 11:37 P.M. when police received another 911 call about a woman lying on the side of the road. It was reported that Algerian first followed the victim for a while. Footage shows that the victim had eventually approached Algarin’s car, she put her head inside, but quickly walked away before he opened fire with an AR-15, hitting her in the leg and head. Officers were later able to identify the suspect’s unique red Subaru WRX with custom lettering on the sidewalls, which tied both murders together.
Post arrest, detectives uncovered survey data from Algarin’s phone which included searches of “Kent shootings in the U.S.,” “King County cold cases,” and “Unsolved murders in Washington state.”
Court documents state that it was premeditated. They read, “Although the defendant has no significant criminal history, his premeditated search and hunt for homeless women in Kent resulting in shooting of both women.”
The document also shares that the suspect had a firearm and then rearmed himself for the second shooting. “The defendant used a pistol at the first shooting and then re-armed himself with an Ar-15 rifle to shoot his second victim. The fact the defendant lured both women into darkened areas of Kent at night equipped with two different types of firearms and without provocation shoot both women is very concerning.”
Algarin is now in custody, and his charges provide an unfortunate reminder of the dangers homeless women face daily.
Thankfully, both women survived their ordeals, though the woman who was shot in the head received life-changing injuries that could affect her for the rest of her life.