A man who was killed Friday in a shootout with law enforcement in Bremerton following an hours-long standoff was wanted for the murder of a 41-year-old man at a Parkland apartment complex.
Shaun Luzama, 49, and a 47-year-old woman were killed in the standoff, the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney's Office confirmed. Law enforcement officials had been searching for Luzama for more than a month in connection to the Aug. 5 fatal shooting of Michael Lefeau. The woman has not yet been publicly identified, and it's unclear what connection she might have had to Luzama.
Prosecutors charged Luzama on Sept. 27 with two counts of second-degree murder and first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest. Records state he had prior felony convictions for second-degree assault with a deadly weapon and unlawful possession of a firearm.
Delsa Lefeau said a detective called her Friday to tell her that they found her brother's killer. Later that day, they informed her that Luzama was killed during the standoff.
"I didn't really believe it until the detective called me that day and at the same time, I felt bad because he's a human, too. But at the same time I was thinking that the life of my brother got taken away, too," she said.
Delsa Lefeau said that she and her family wanted to face Luzama in court so they could get more answers.
"The whole time I was praying that he would surrender, so he wouldn't hurt anybody or the police wouldn't hurt him," she said.
Luzama was accused of driving to the Concordia Arms Apartments in the 100 block of 129th Street South the evening of Aug. 5 with another man in the passenger seat, according to charging papers. He allegedly shot Lefeau and drove off in a gray Nissan Frontier.
Witnesses told Pierce County Sheriff's Department detectives that the man in Luzama's passenger seat had beef with a tenant of the apartment complex who Lefeau had been visiting with. The dispute was reportedly over a stolen Lexus.
A cousin of Luzama allegedly told detectives that Luzama and the passenger sent a text to the tenant earlier in the day to tell him they were coming over, and that the visit "was not going to be a friendly one," according to the declaration for determination of probable cause. The tenant was interviewed by detectives, and he allegedly said he told Lefeau to leave because the two men were coming over, but that Lefeau wanted to stay to support him.
It's unclear why Lefeau was shot. The tenant who was reportedly at the center of the dispute over the stolen Lexus told police he was walking with the victim when Luzama and his passenger drove up, and they both got out of the Nissan. Records state the tenant said he saw Luzama shoot Lefeau, but he didn't know why it happened. He told detectives he found a sawed-off shotgun tucked into Lefeau's pants.
Shortly after midnight Friday morning, the Sheriff's Department SWAT team was called out to help Kitsap County deputies and FBI agents arrest Luzama in Bremerton. The Kitsap County Sheriff's Office said law enforcement moved to arrest him at a residence in the 3000 block of Forest Drive Northeast at 3 a.m., and shots were fired about 40 minutes later. Pierce County deputies said Luzama fired gunshots at SWAT all morning.
By 7:45 a.m., SWAT teams from Kitsap County and the Washington State Patrol had responded, and deputies said Luzama was surrounded while he barricaded himself inside. Law enforcement reported shots fired shortly after 10 a.m. on the north side of the residence, according to the Kitsap Critical Incident Response Team, and Luzama and the woman were found shot.
Luzama was pronounced dead on the scene, and the woman was taken to a hospital in Silverdale, where she died.
The fatal shooting is being investigated by two teams which independently investigate police uses of deadly force, the Kitsap Critical Incident Response Team and the Pierce County Force Investigation Team. Officials have not identified the officer or officers who shot Luzama or which law enforcement agency they belong to. No law enforcement officers were injured.
It's unclear exactly how the shooting unfolded. The spokesperson for the investigation, Lt. Ryan Heffernan of the Bremerton Police Department, declined to answer questions Monday regarding the details of how it occurred, whether the woman who died knew Luzama or if anyone else was inside the residence.
The police activity led to the closure of nearby roads, and residents were asked to shelter in place. A middle school about a mile south of the incident also went into a modified lockdown for several hours.
Many of Delsa Lefeau's family members are relieved that Luzama is dead, but they empathize with Luzama's family.
"That family is coping the same thing we are going through. Revenge, it's not the answer," she said.
Delsa Lefeau said her brother was a father to three teenagers. A few days before his murder, Lefeau was released from rehab after battling addiction. Delsa Lefeau said her brother was humble and put everyone before himself.
"He likes to cook and and spend time with family, especially because Thanksgiving is coming up. That's his favorite holiday because he was was the only one that cooked turkey for all of us," she said.
