A 63-year-old Birch Bay man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after allegedly shooting a 30-year-old woman and 2-year-old child as they ran from him on Monday night, the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office said.
In addition to the attempted murder allegation, Anthony (Tony) Michael Palomba was also jailed on reckless endangerment, suspicion of felony harassment and carrying a concealed gun without a permit.
Sheriff’s investigators said the shooting victims knew Palomba.
They were taken to PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center to be treated for gunshot wounds that weren’t life-threatening, the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
Additional information about the victims’ conditions weren’t available by press time on Wednesday.
Deputies were dispatched to a residential area in Birch Bay about 7:45 p.m. on Monday, after receiving a report of an assault with a firearm, followed by additional calls about two victims with gunshot wounds and from a man who said he heard gunshots and saw his neighbor run out of a house carrying a baby.
Deputies arrived and found the wounded woman and young child at a nearby residence. The adult identified Palomba as the shooter, according to the news release.
Palomba and the woman had argued earlier in the day. Palomba allegedly armed himself later and pointed the gun at the woman, who grabbed the child and ran out of the residence as Palomba fired, investigators said.
Palomba then threatened to kill by pointing a pistol at one of three other adults in the residence at the time.
Palomba was trying to flee when deputies arrived, but they de-escalated the situation and he was arrested without incident.
Deputies found a pistol from the passenger seat of Palomba’s vehicle and one bullet that had been fired and ended in the living room where two other residents were sitting, according to the news release.
“An incident involving an alleged attempt to take another’s life is deeply troubling and understandably shakes our community,” Whatcom Sheriff Donnell “Tank” Tanksley said in the news release. “I appreciate our deputies’ quick response and successful de-escalation. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families.”
Palomba made his first appearance in Whatcom County Superior Court on Tuesday afternoon.
He remained in jail on Wednesday, and is being held without bail.
Correction: The story was changed to reflect Anthony (Tony) Michael Palomba’s action when he allegedly pointed a pistol at one of three other adults in the residence at the time.
