Isaac L. Zamora Turns himself in in connection with the SKAGIT COUNTY SHOOTINGS

Six people, including a sheriff's deputy, were killed in northwestern Washington state after a shooting spree that ended when a 28-year-old man suffering from a mental illness surrendered himself, police said.

Isaac Zamora turned himself in to police following a 16-mile (26-kilometer) car chase on Interstate 5. Investigators secured the crime scenes and were scheduled to resume investigations at dawn, State Trooper Keith Leary said today in a phone interview.

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Washington State Governor Chris Gregoire called for an independent investigation into yesterday's incident. Zamora had been released from jail in the first week of August after serving time for felony drug possession and was under state supervision, the Seattle Times reported.

``I was informed by state Department of Corrections Secretary Eldon Vail that the suspect in today's tragic crimes, Isaac L. Zamora, was under DOC supervision for three weeks,'' Gregoire said in a statement on her Web site late yesterday.

``Due to the gravity of the situation, I am calling for an independent, third party review,'' led by the state's Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs and a prosecutor, she said. ``I will be directing them to look into how this case was handled and provide an initial report to me within 10 days.''

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Leary said police hadn't yet compiled a full criminal history of Zamora for release.

``He was known to law enforcement in some sort of supervised fashion, but we don't know exactly at this point what that entailed,'' Leary said.

Drug, Alcohol Tests

Vail said Zamora had reported as instructed and passed tests for drug and alcohol use, the Associated Press reported. ``I want to extend our profound sorrow and heartfelt sympathy for the victims of the shootings in Skagit County,'' AP cited Vail as saying in a statement.

The 40-year-old Skagit County deputy, Anne Jackson, was shot at about 2 p.m. local time while responding to a call from Zamora's mother near the town of Alger, the Seattle Times said.

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The bodies of four other people were discovered in the area. After driving south on the Interstate, the suspect wounded a State Patrol trooper who was pursuing him in a vehicle and killed a civilian driver on the highway, as well as wounding a motorcyclist.

Zamora surrendered at the sheriff's office in Mount Vernon, where he was being held. Leary said the trooper was shot in the arm and went home after treatment.

Gov. Chris Gregoire Tuesday night expressed her condolences to the victims of the six murders in Skagit County and called for an independent review of how the suspect, Isaac Zamora, was handled by the Department of Corrections while under that agency's supervision.

This is her statement:

“This evening I was informed by state Department of Corrections Secretary Eldon Vail that the suspect in today’s tragic crimes, Isaac L. Zamora, was under DOC supervision for three weeks. I asked Secretary Vail to issue a statement this evening detailing the known facts.

“Due to the gravity of the situation, I am calling for an independent, third party review led by Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs President Colleen Wilson, and a prosecutor to be appointed by the Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys. I will be directing them to look into how this case was handled and provide an initial report to me within ten days.

“I have directed Secretary Vail to conduct a thorough review of the suspect’s files and provide this information to me, and the review team by Thursday.

“Public safety continues to be a top priority of my administration. My thoughts and prayers go out to all of the families of the victims of today’s tragic crimes.”

ALGER, Wash. – A terrifying shooting spree that stretched from a small northwest Washington town onto the state's busiest highway left six people dead and four more wounded on Tuesday.

The dead included a Skagit County sheriff's deputy and the wounded included a Washington State Patrol trooper shot while trying to chase the shooter down on Interstate 5, the State Patrol said.

The victims were not immediately identified.

The man who turned himself in was known to authorities as "someone with a mental illness," Trooper Keith Leary said. State Department of Corrections officials are "99 percent sure" the man is Isaac Zamora, 28, who has a lengthy criminal record, spokesman Chad Lewis said. Zamora was released from the Skagit County jail on Aug 4.

Events started just after 2 p.m. when Skagit County Sheriff's deputy Ann Jackson responded to someone being shot at the 19800 block of Silver Creek Drive in the town of Alger. The deputy and one person were later found dead at the scene.

Shortly after 4 p.m., dispatch received a call that deputies were under fire in the 19300 block of Bridle Place. Another person was found dead at the scene.

Around the same time, a man on a motorcycle appeared at the Alger Shell station with a gunshot wound to his arm.

Then shots were fired at a WSP trooper on the freeway. He was injured in the arm, but managed to drive himself to the hospital in Sedro-Woolley. His injuries were non-life-threatening.

Police are investigating seven different crime scenes in a shooting spree that left six dead Tuesday in Skagit County, Wash.
Police then received word of a fatal collision at mile post 238. It was discovered that the victim had been shot. The victim's car could be seen in the middle of the median near the Bow Hill exit.

Two construction workers were later found dead at a nearby house in the 19500 block of Silver Creek Road.

From there police believe the suspect headed toward I-5, shooting a motorcyclist in the arm at a nearby Shell gas station. That victim is said to be OK.

The suspect is known to police in the area.

"It's a very dangerous job, we all know that, and it's the last thing we want to hear. That one of us has been ... regardless if you're state patrol, city, county, federal agencies, it doesn’t matter. We're all in that same, right in that same family," said trooper Keith Leary. "My heart goes out to the family at this point."

The first shootings were reported shortly after 2 p.m. Tuesday and the suspect was in custody by about 4:30 p.m.

Statement from Governor Chris Gregoire

My thoughts and prayers go out to all of the families of the victims of today's tragic crimes. The victims included innocent civilians and a Skagit County sheriff's deputy. In addition, a Washington State Patrol trooper was injured. Our law enforcement heroes are the first line of defense against crime and they risk their lives everyday to protect others.

I have directed Washington State Patrol Chief John Batiste to assist local law enforcement in the investigation of the crimes and the suspect.

Tonight I ask my fellow Washingtonians to pray for the friends and families who suffered such a terrible loss.

On behalf of the Department of Corrections I want to extend our profound sorrow and heartfelt sympathy for the victims of the shootings in Skagit County. This is a senseless loss of the lives of innocent citizens and a member of our law-enforcement family.

We have done an initial review of Isaac L. Zamora's supervision. He was sentenced by Skagit County Superior Court to six months in county jail and one year of community supervision. Zamora was released in the first week of August from Skagit County Jail.

Following his release from jail, in August he reported to his community corrections officer twice as instructed. A urine analysis indicated no drug or alcohol consumption. He was next scheduled to report to his community corrections officer on Sept. 10.

We will cooperate with local law enforcement during their investigation.

Additionally, following our policy after an incident like this, we will have an internal review of his supervision.