SNOHOMISH — A teen suspected of being one of two gunmen who sprayed a Snohomish home with bullets July 6 is at risk of a lengthy prison sentence after being charged with first-degree assault and drive-by shooting.
In May, on the day he turned 18, Jaden Nathanael McDougall marked his birthday in part by buying a Ruger AR-15 rifle, Snohomish County deputy prosecutor Andrew Alsdorf said in court papers.
It was 54 days later that he used the military-style weapon to repeatedly fire at the home of another young man who was involved in a “beef” with McDougall’s friends, the prosecutor wrote.
McDougall was arrested within minutes of the gunfire. The .223-caliber weapon allegedly was at his side in the backseat of a car.
The Snohomish teen joins Hayden Cross Baus in facing felony charges in Snohomish County Superior Court. Baus is 17, but the seriousness of the violence landed him in adult court on assault, drive-by shooting and arson charges.
The gunfire marked the second attack at a Snohomish home in less than 24 hours.
First, somebody set a car afire after breaking out a window and tossing lit fireworks inside.
That was followed by taunting social media messages that Baus allegedly sent the young man who regularly drove the car. The messages appeared to be an attempt to goad the target into agreeing to a fight, prosecutors say.
The social media clues led Snohomish County sheriff’s deputies to set up surveillance at Baus’ home while they sought a judge’s permission for a search warrant to look for evidence that may link him to the car fire.
Deputies heard the gunfire and surrounded a car that pulled up at Baus’ home a few minutes later.
Baus reportedly was up front, on the passenger side, carrying a 9mm handgun. McDougall was seated behind him.
In addition to the rifle and handgun, police recovered spent bullet casings and mortar fireworks from inside the car.
There were three other young men in the vehicle, all in their teens and from Snohomish and Everett. Some have told investigators that Baus and McDougall fired the weapons, Alsdorf wrote.
Nobody was struck by the gunfire, but multiple bullets hit the home and a neighboring house.
If convicted as charged, McDougall could face more than a dozen years in prison.
Scott North: 425-339-3431; north@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @snorthnews.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
