Shooting near burning van believed to be self-inflicted
May 14, 2009 · Updated 3:07 PM
A man found shot near a burning van in South Kitsap on Thursday morning most likely injured himself, the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office reported.
“There are a lot of indicators that this was not a criminal act and was self-inflicted,” said Det. Sgt. Eric Bockelie, adding that investigators now believe no one else was involved.
Bockelie said the initial report was called in at 8:14 a.m. by a neighbor who noticed the van on fire on the 3200 block of Menzies Road near Southworth.
Bockelie said the victim, in his 40s, was taken to St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma. He could not speak to whether the man’s injuries were life-threatening, but said they “appeared fairly serious.” Bockelie said the man did not appear burned, and was found outside of the vehicle.
He said the victim lived in the area, and could not verify if the van belonged to him.
A South Kitsap Fire and Rescue duty chief said the van was “fully-involved” when crews arrived on scene to extinguish it. He said the Kitsap County Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire.
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