Man charged in deadly shooting outside Graham bar
GRAHAM, Wash. - A man accused in a deadly shooting outside a Graham bar over the weekend was charged with murder, prosecutors said.
Pierce County prosecutors announced on Monday that Alec Albert Ausbun, 24, was charged with first-degree and second-degree murder.
Before 2 a.m. Sunday, Pierce County deputies responded to a report of a shooting at the Culpepper’s Bar and Grill.
When deputies arrived, they found a man lying face down on the pavement.
Court documents said the man died at the scene and an initial exam revealed he was shot in the head.
According to court documents, Ausbun and his friend went to the bar 30 minutes before it closed and witnesses said they parked the car at an angle that took over 2 to 3 spots.
Ausbun and his friend went inside the bar, ordered drinks and witnesses reported the two to be "highly intoxicated."
Court documents said that the bar manager stated that Ausbun went into the bar "looking like he was looking for a fight." She asked the two that they needed to close their tab and leave, and went outside to warm up her car.
The victim and his friend were talking to the manager as Ausbun and his friend left the bar and went to their truck.
Investigators said Ausbun and his friend were arguing about who was going to drive even though the truck belonged to the friend. Ausbun’s friend then started punching the truck and the manager, victim and the victim’s friend told them to leave.
Documents said Ausbun "took offense" and started arguing with the victim, and then they both walked back towards their friends.
According to probable cause, Ausbun grabbed a gun in the truck and walked towards the group. The victim ran away and the "defendant fired several shots (at least three, possibly more) in the direction the victim was running."
The bar manager found the victim in the back alley and realized he had been shot.
Court documents said Ausbun was about 180 feet away from the victim when he opened fire and shot him in the head.
Witnesses reported seeing Ausbun leave the scene on an ATV after the shooting, and investigators believe Ausbun and his friend were looking for the handgun that was possibly tossed. Ausbun then tried to drive away again.
As deputies arrived at the scene, Ausbun "jumped a curb and went down a small embankment and into the brush and sticker bushes below," documents said.
Police located him and took him into custody without incident. The suspect was in jail Monday held on $1 million bail.
Detectives reached out to Ausbun’s friend at his home and he told them he didn’t remember what had happened.
After a search of the crime scene, detectives found the gun where Ausbun was located.
Monday night, a few hundred people gathered outside the scene of where the victim died.
Family and friends tell FOX 13 News that victim was 25-year-old Danny Stanley
Stanley’s cousin, Savannah Stanley, says she can’t believe how many people came out to support Danny.
"A lot of people loved him, but I didn’t know this many people loved him. I mean its bittersweet to see Danny had a big impact on a lot of people’s lives," she said.
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