A 23-year-old Centralia resident was hospitalized early Sunday morning and a man was arrested for first-degree assault after a shooting in downtown Centralia, according to the Centralia Police Department.
Officers responded to a report of a victim with a gunshot wound in the 600 block of South Tower Avenue at about 3 a.m., according to a news release from police.
The 23-year-old had suffered a gunshot wound to the torso. The individual, who was not identified by police, was transported by ambulance to Providence Centralia Hospital before being transferred to Tacoma General Hospital for trauma care. The victim was still receiving “critical medical care” as of Sunday morning, according to police.
A witness identified “Dayton Lafferty (Arias)” as the suspect, police stated in the release; however, he is listed in Lewis County Jail records as “Dayton Luther Arias.”
The suspect was located by police across the street from where the incident occurred, and a firearm beleved to have been used in the shooting was found on the ground near where the victim was located, according to police.
“Centralia Police Department detectives responded to assist in the investigation,” the news release stated. “During the interview with detectives, probable cause was established to arrest Lafferty for assault in the first degree. The relationship between Lafferty and the victim, as well was what perpetuated the assault, are still under investigation. No further information will be released at this time. Anyone with information related to this case or any other unreported cases involving Lafferty are encouraged to contact the Centralia Police Department.”
This article will be updated.
