A man was arrested Monday for allegedly shooting his brother to death in an area near milepost 128 of State Route 20 near Newhalem, Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office said in an Aug. 8 statement.
John Thomson, 40, was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder and unlawful possession of a weapon, and was booked into Whatcom County Jail. He is a convicted felon, police said.
North Cascades National Park rangers responded to reports of a single shot followed by multiple shots around 4 a.m. Monday morning. Rangers found Thomson sitting in a vehicle near milepost 128 around 4:45 a.m. Thomson said he had not heard any gunshots, according to a WCSO release.
The rangers continued checking along State Route 20, then, on the way back to Newhalem, saw a large amount of blood on a guard rail where they had previously spoken to Thomson. In the embankment below, they found the body of Robert Thomson, 69.
John Thomson was later located by rangers and detained. An AR-15-style rifle was seen in the vehicle, according to the release.
The Sheriff’s Office was requested to assist the rangers and John Thomson confessed to shooting his brother “multiple times, with the intent to kill him,” during an interview, police said.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
