ARLINGTON — A young man who was shot and killed Saturday was a high school senior days away from graduation, according to the Arlington School District.
“Todd Smith was due to graduate on Thursday,” district spokesperson Gary Sabol wrote in an email sent to families and staff. “He was known for his sense of humor and will be greatly missed.”
Smith, 18, was at a nearby graduation party Friday night and, at some point, left the party alone, according to a press release sent out Monday evening by the Everett Police Department.
He was shot by a homeowner, who later told police the young man was an intruder. The homeowner reportedly heard pounding on his back laundry room door at 4 a.m. Saturday in the 19800 block of 106th Ave NE. When he went to investigate, he reported he saw a shirtless stranger in his yard. He opened up his slider next to the backdoor and reportedly told him to leave and that he had a gun, Everett Police Officer Kerby Duncan said. Smith reportedly continued to advance on the homeowner, who was still inside his home.
The homeowner then shot the stranger twice, according to police reports.
The high school senior died.
The homeowner immediately asked his wife to call 911 and spoke with law enforcement upon their arrival to his house, according to police.
The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office started the investigation. Everett Police Department took over after it was discovered the teen was a relative of a sheriff’s deputy.
The homeowner has been cooperative and is currently not in custody, police said.
Ellen Dennis: 425-339-3486; edennis@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @reporterellen
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