‘My best friend’: Everett man’s family grieves with unanswered questions

EVERETT — Jeremy Anderson called his mother Debbie Ely at the same time every morning — sometimes to ask if she needed groceries, or just some company.

But the morning of March 2, she didn’t hear from him.

At the same time, Ely learned that someone had been shot to death in her son’s Everett apartment complex in the 8200 block of 11th Drive West. Worried for him, she sent her older son Douglas Anderson to go check on him.

When Douglas Anderson arrived at the complex, he got the news: His younger brother had been shot and killed in his sleep.

“I didn’t believe it,” Douglas Anderson said in an April 6 phone interview. “How does that happen? There’s 120,000 people that live in this city and the person that got shot that night was my brother.”

For about 19 years, Jeremy Anderson was a bartender at Ivar’s Mukilteo Landing, where he was beloved by his customers and colleagues. He was an avid fan of football, golfing, dad jokes and ’80s music. He cried with his brother when the Seahawks won the Super Bowl in 2014.

Jeremy Jones, 41, was charged last month with second-degree murder and manslaughter for allegedly shooting Jeremy Anderson through their shared wall. Prosecuting attorney Jason Cummings said both charges were filed under the legal principle of “alternative means,” meaning a jury could consider convicting Jones of either charge.

Jones is set to go on trial next week for an extreme risk protection order sought by Everett police to permanently take away guns found in his apartment.

Douglas Anderson, 47, believes his brother’s death could have been prevented — if the police had seized those guns when they responded to a 911 call Jones made the evening before.

“I don’t know what the law is, but it seems like they should figure out something to put in place to prevent this kind of stuff,” Douglas Anderson said. “Too many people are dying from guns.”

Early on March 1, about a day before Jeremy Anderson was killed, Jones called 911 claiming his neighbor — whom he identified by the wrong last name — had been pounding on the shared wall, yelling threats. But when officers knocked on the door, Jeremy Anderson looked like he had just woken up and there were no sign of any disturbance, according to court papers.

Jones reportedly told those officers he owned a shotgun and a pistol, but he had locked them away in a safe before they got there. He “appeared frazzled and was exhibiting signs of paranoia” when talking with officers, according to the charges. Police believed Jones was having a mental health crisis. But he was apparently allowed to keep his firearms.

Everett Sgt. Kerby Duncan said the case is still considered an active investigation and detectives were likely not going to respond to a reporter’s request for comment on the family’s concerns.

After the first 911 call, officers told Jones to call the police should something happen again, then left the scene, court documents say.

The next day, Jones fired four shots through the shared apartment wall, striking Jeremy Anderson in the head, according to investigators. Jones quickly surrendered to police when confronted, the charges say. As of Wednesday, he was still being held in the Snohomish County Jail with bail set at $1 million.

Douglas Anderson filed a public records request last month to access the police report from the night before his brother’s death. The police department told him it would respond to his request by April 21.

March 1, he said, is “the day I’m most interested in.”

Douglas Anderson said the family has spoken with prosecutors about filing an elevated charge of first-degree murder, meaning it was premeditated, as well as attempted murder of a friend who checked on Jeremy Anderson’s apartment and called police that night.

“Maybe one shot is not premeditated,” Douglas Anderson said. “But once you fire two or three shots, now you’ve chosen a path.”

Jeremy Anderson leaves behind two teenage daughters, whom Douglas said he always made time for.

“Jeremy was my best friend,” Douglas said. “I just want answers.”

Maya Tizon; 425-339-3434; maya.tizon@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @mayatizon.