Man charged with attempted murder in shooting of boss in Everett

EVERETT — Prosecutors last week charged a Seattle man with attempted murder after he allegedly shot his boss in the face in north Everett.

About a week before the Nov. 24 shooting, Anthony Gutierrez exchanged a strange series of texts with his supervisor at a local construction company, according to the charges filed in Snohomish County Superior Court.

Gutierrez, 43, told his boss, 34, he was “coming for you” and “you owe me a car,” according to the charges. The boss responded he had no clue what Gutierrez was talking about.

The next day, Gutierrez reportedly told his supervisor those texts were meant for his ex, who he owed child support.

Around 5 p.m. Nov. 24, Gutierrez showed up uninvited at his supervisor’s house in the 1700 block of Colby Avenue, according to police. Gutierrez told his boss he was there to get help with child support paperwork. His boss let him inside.

They briefly talked about the paperwork before Gutierrez complained about his car being either stolen or towed, according to court documents. He said he thought they were friends and “didn’t know it would come to this.”

The boss reassured Gutierrez they were friends, according to court papers. He offered to watch TV with Gutierrez. They briefly discussed movies.

Not long after, Gutierrez reportedly said something along the lines of “you never know who you’re talking to.” The manager agreed.

Out of nowhere, Gutierrez then lifted his hand up while it was in his jacket pocket and shot his boss, prosecutors allege. The supervisor ran from the home.

The boss was shot in the left cheek, according to the charges. He was released from the hospital, but had to schedule an appointment to get bullet fragments surgically removed from his face.

At the home, police found a .22-caliber bullet casing, according to court papers.

In hindsight, the supervisor later realized Gutierrez was sweating and acting strange, the charges say. He thought Gutierrez may have been on drugs. He also believed Gutierrez blamed him for the car being towed.

Gutierrez used his company credit card to book a room at the Tulalip Resort Casino, about 7 miles north, according to court documents. Police found him in a room there booked in his name.

In the room, police reportedly found a .22-caliber pistol and a bullet magazine with live rounds. Investigators arrested him for investigation of first-degree assault.

But last week, prosecutors added a first-degree attempted murder charge, on top of the assault charge. They asked Superior Court Judge Richard Okrent to set Gutierrez’s bail at $1 million. On Wednesday, he set bail at $400,000, instead.

Gutierrez has remained in the Snohomish County Jail since his arrest. He has no criminal history, court records show.

Jake Goldstein-Street: 425-339-3439; jake.goldstein-street@heraldnet.com; X: @GoldsteinStreet.