Updated at 12:40 p.m.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
Police believe David Wayne Carson was shot twice in the chest with a 9 mm handgun yesterday on B Street in Centralia.
Carson was dead inside the home after police and aid responded to calls just before 3 o’clock yesterday afternoon.
Carson, 43, is a Centralia resident.
The 29-year-old man who lives there – Weston G. Miller – fled before police arrived and was found soon after, driving a pickup truck on Big Hanaford Road, according to police. He was taken into custody without incident, police reported.
Miller was arrested and booked yesterday evening for first-degree murder.
Police haven’t revealed what they learned about what transpired inside the house or led to the shooting.
Officers searched the home yesterday and found a 9 mm handgun, which they believe was used to shoot Carson, according to the Centralia Police Department. They also found several other firearms, Officer John Panco said in a news release this morning.
Later today, police plan to search Miller’s truck to look for more evidence, Panco said.
Panco said a 9 mm is bigger than a .22 but not as big as a .45 – police usually carry a .40 or .45, he said.
“We think a total of three bullets were fired,” Panco said.
Two struck Carson in the chest, according to Panco.
Carson and his girlfriend had been staying at the house and were getting ready to move out, according to his younger brother, Dan Carson.
Dan Carson said his brother worked at Hardel plywood in Chehalis until a couple of years ago. Before that, he had a job in California taking care of expensive show dogs, he said. They both grew up in Centralia, he said.
Miller is expected to go before a judge this afternoon in Lewis County Superior Court.
An autopsy is scheduled for tomorrow.
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Correction: This story has been updated to reflect correctly the size of firearm Officer Panco said Centralia police usually carry.
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For background, read “Breaking news: Man fatally shot in Centralia, suspect arrested” from Tuesday March 13, 2012 at 6:36 p.m., here
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
Grays Harbor Girl, it was just the knee not the back… and I dont know if you have been around him in the past few years but he (Wes) was not the same person he was 10-15 years ago… he needed help and what I understand people told him and he refused. I know nothing about Dave but do know that this situation is a tragedy for all people involved… for all families. I hope that all people that are touched by this find comfort and hope eventually. They both had families that cared for them, and both are hurting… and last to be said is that the only people that will know the honest to god truth behind all this is the 3 people that were involved… one is gone, one is in jail and the other is carrying on with life. If drugs were an issue I hope this is a learning experience for all involved and those who knew these people. Good luck to all and I wish all families the best of luck on finding the courage to not look back but look forward to the future.
I also would have trusted my life in David’s hands. He doesn’t look scary to me at all..He would give you the shirt off his back and his last penny.Now he is gone but he will never be forgotten.My heart goes out to his family and his true friends..
I wonder what happened, why Wes did what he did? Was he acting in self defense, was drugs a issue? Did Sara play a role in this horrible tradgedy?(A LOT of rumors she was) I dont know. What I do know is, in 20+ yrs Ive known Wes I had NEVER seen any violent or mental issues. He was always a pretty laid backed soft spoken kid and young man. Down on his luck with knee and back injuries (? I believe) the past few years just trying to keep his head above water. My sincere sympothy goes out to the Carson family, may GOD comfort them and the Miller’s as well.
Ace, that just goes to show that you can’t judge a book by its cover. I hear a lot of people saying similar things about Weston (despite an apparent history of mental illness), yet here he is being charged with taking the life of someone who, despite his rough appearance and introverted nature that could easily be misinterpreted as rudeness, I would have trusted my life with. That’s something that I won’t say about a lot of my friends, especially in this city. I have to admit that the first couple times I met him I misjudged him also, but that was a good 5 or 6 years ago and I learned just how great of a person he was pretty quickly.
I have met them both and was shocked to hear Weston pulled the trigger. He never seemed aggressive or wierd to me. I thought he was a pretty nice guy. Dave seemed scary to me and not someone I would turn my back on.
So sad. Dave had been really down on his luck for a couple years but every time I saw him he was always trying to be positive. He always maintained a level of integrity that many, in similar situations (or doing much better in life), struggle to ever reach.