Police officials investigate a shooting at Daleway Park in Lynnwood on April 4. (Kevin Clark / Herald file)

Police officials investigate a shooting at Daleway Park in Lynnwood on April 4. (Kevin Clark / Herald file)

Suspect arrested in fatal shooting of retired Lynnwood man

Carl Bridgmon, 70, was a bystander caught in a shooting at Daleway Park in Lynnwood. The suspected shooter was still at large.

LYNNWOOD — Detectives have arrested a suspect in the fatal shooting of an innocent bystander in a Lynnwood park.

Leif Smith, 21, of Marysville, was taken into custody Tuesday for investigation of first-degree murder, first-degree robbery and two counts of felony assault.

Detectives believed Smith was the driver of a vehicle that fled the scene. A second person — the suspected shooter — remained at large Wednesday.

On the afternoon of April 5, police were called to reports of shots fired in Daleway Park at 19015 64th Ave. W in Lynnwood. Officers arrived to find Carl Bridgmon, 70, deceased in the driver’s seat of a black Chevrolet Impala in the parking lot. There were several bullet holes in the driver’s side door of the Impala.

Bridgmon frequented the small forested park near Highway 99 several times a week, according to a statement from his family. He liked to enjoy a cup of coffee there. Lynnwood police said he witnessed an argument between four people in the parking lot when shots were fired around 2:15 p.m.

After the shooting, witnesses reported they saw a black sedan drive away. Witnesses also reported they saw two men run from the park, west on 190th Street SW. Police found and questioned two young men, both 18.

The teens reported they drove to the park around 2 p.m. to buy cannabis from a person they contacted on Snapchat. They walked up to a black sedan with tinted windows in the parking lot, police wrote, and got into the car. A driver and a passenger were already in the car, the teenagers reported.

One of the teens reportedly asked to see the bag of cannabis to check its quality. An argument escalated, police wrote, and the driver and passenger began punching the two teens inside the car. The teens ran from the park. One of them reportedly heard loud pops and looked back to see the passenger holding a rifle and shooting at them from the car.

A Lynnwood detective searched Bridgman’s cellphone and found camera footage of the fight between the four men. The witness had “ultimately captured his own shooting and death,” a Lynnwood detective wrote.

The video showed the shooter emerged from the car and immediately began firing a rifle, striking Bridgmon and his car.

An anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound helped police to identify Smith as the driver of the black sedan, according to a police report filed Wednesday in Everett District Court.

The tipster reportedly told police Smith had been driving a Honda registered to his mother, and that the gun used in the shooting belonged to Smith. At the scene of the shooting, police found a dozen shell casings from a 7.62×39 mm rifle, a common form of ammunition for AK-47-style firearms.

A police investigation found Smith’s family members had at least three guns registered in their names at the time of the shooting, but none use bullets matching the caliber of the casings in the park.

Smith had also been issued a concealed pistol license last year. A Lynnwood detective pulled up his application for the license and called a cellphone number listed on it, police wrote. The detective reportedly identified himself as “Kevin” and said he worked at TRAX Transport Inc. He said he was doing taxes, police wrote, and told Smith they owed him back pay. Police felt confident they were talking with Smith because he corrected the pronunciation of his first name.

It’s not “Leaf,” it’s “Lay-f,” he said.

Smith reportedly confirmed he worked for the company in 2021 and provided a Marysville address to mail the money to. That address was the same one registered to the Honda, according to the police report.

The Honda had chrome detailing around the windows, chrome spokes and black rain guards, police wrote. It reportedly matched a car visible in security footage taken the day of the shooting near the scene of the crime.

During the investigation, police installed a tracking device on the Honda. A review of the GPS data collected revealed the car never returned to Lynnwood in the three weeks following the shooting, police wrote.

Detectives obtained a warrant to search Smith’s phone records. Cell tower data suggested he traveled from Marysville to Lynnwood just before the shooting, then left the area and headed to Arlington, a Lynnwood detective wrote.

Smith appeared via video call from the jail at a bail hearing Wednesday in Everett District Court, represented by defense attorney Peter Mazzone. Judge Tam Bui found probable cause for murder and set bail at $1 million. The suspect remained at the Snohomish County Jail.

Police were still seeking tips about the shooter, as well as any other information that could help the investigation. Tips can be directed to detective Jacqueline Arnett at 425-670-5669, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Ellen Dennis: 425-339-3486; edennis@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @reporterellen.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Olivia Vanni / The Herald 
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County.
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mukilteo mayor vetoes council-approved sales tax

The tax would have helped pay for transportation infrastructure, but was also set to give Mukilteo the highest sales tax rate in the state.

Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring gives the state of the city address at the Marysville Civic Center on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, in Marysville, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Marysville council approves interim middle housing law

The council passed the regulations to prevent a state model code from taking effect by default. It expects to approve final rules by October.

x
State audit takes issue with Edmonds COVID grant monitoring

The audit report covered 2023 and is the third since 2020 that found similar issues with COVID-19 recovery grant documentation.

Bothell
Bothell man pleads guilty to sexual abuse of Marysville middle schoolers

The man allegedly sexually assaulted three students in exchange for vapes and edibles in 2022. His sentencing is set for Aug. 29.

Larsen talks proposed Medicaid cuts during Compass Health stop in Everett

Compass Health plans to open its new behavioral health center in August. Nearly all of the nonprofit’s patients rely on Medicaid.

Snohomish County Health Department Director Dennis Worsham on Tuesday, June 11, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Snohomish County Health Department director tapped as WA health secretary

Dennis Worsham became the first director of the county health department in January 2023. His last day will be July 3.

Police Cmdr. Scott King answers questions about the Flock Safety license plate camera system on Thursday, June 5, 2025 in Mountlake Terrace, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mountlake Terrace approves Flock camera system after public pushback

The council approved the $54,000 license plate camera system agreement by a vote of 5-2.

Community members gather for the dedication of the Oso Landslide Memorial following the ten-year remembrance of the slide on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Oso Landslide Memorial in Oso, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
The Daily Herald garners 6 awards from regional journalism competition

The awards recognize the best in journalism from media outlets across Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

The Washington state Capitol. (Photo by Jacquelyn Jimenez Romero/Washington State Standard)
These Washington laws take effect July 1

Fee hikes for hunting and fishing licenses, workplace protections for immigrants and… Continue reading

Everett
Everett could levy fines for non-emergency lift assists at care facilities

The ordinance intends to discourage licensed care facilities from calling 911 to perform lift assists in a non-emergency situation.

The pathway at Matt Hirvela Bicentennial Park is completed Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023, in Mountlake Terrace, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Lynnwood light rail leads to new trees in Mountlake Terrace

Mountlake Terrace replaced trees removed during construction of the Lynnwood light rail… Continue reading

Riverfront Everett in Everett, Washington on Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Everett council extends deadline for riverfront grocery store

A city agreement requires the land owners to bring a grocer there. Developers say more housing units need to be built to attract one to the site.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.