Police in Montana have arrested the suspect in the fatal drive by shooting of a 13-year-old boy last week in Washington state.
A 25-year-old man named Glen Dylan Burkey was apprehended on Wednesday after authorities were tipped off about his presence in the Missoula area, as reported by the Missoula Police Department. Burkey was located around noon, and a SWAT team was deployed by the department. The authorities utilized flashbangs before Burkey ultimately surrendered and was taken into custody.
Prior to his arrest, Spokane Police had already identified Burkey as the individual suspected of the fatal shooting of 13-year-old Gavin Looper in the early hours of a Saturday morning. Burkey was set to face charges of second-degree murder, drive-by shooting, and assault.
Gavin Looper, a student at Peperzak Middle School in Spokane, was visiting a friend’s residence with his older brother and father, according to the account provided by the kids’ mother, Renee Rogers, as reported by The Spokesman-Review. While the older brother was watching a movie, Gavin was engrossed in a video game when the sound of gunshots filled the air. Upon the father, who happened to be Rogers’ ex-husband, rushing into the room, he discovered Gavin lying injured on the floor.
“It was literally the worst night my kids could’ve been over there,” Rogers said. “They shot through the back door. He was on the other side.”
It’s not exactly clear what happened that night. Court records indicate that Burkey had been drinking most of the day prior to the shooting and at some point was running from someone and shooting at him, witnesses said. He told the witnesses he had been ripped off and the other person was shooting at him.
When the witnesses learned the teen was shot, they encouraged Burkey to surrender but he scoffed at them and hung up.
Burkey is now awaiting extradition to Washington to stand trial.
