SPOKANE, Wash. — A suspect in the shooting at a west Spokane Motel 6 in 2021 has plead guilty to assaulting an undercover agent with a firearm.
25-year-old Randy Coy James Holmes, a documented Sureno gang member, exchanged gunfire with an undercover agent after trying to illegally obtain a weapon to commit future robberies, according to the Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Washington.
The shooting occurred on Nov. 5, 2021 when Holmes and co-defendants Vincent Petrushkin and William Huntington Burns arrived at the Motel 6 to meet the undercover agent with ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives).
While discussing the transaction in the agent's car, Holmes pulled a gun at the agent's head, demanding the weapon he came for. The agent directed him to the back of the car before telling him to drop his weapon. The two began exchanging gunfire, both receiving substantial wounds before other agents surveilling the incident arrived to provide medical aid.
According to the attorney's office, Petrushkin and Burns, who are also Sureno gang members, have already plead guilty and are pending sentencing. In the meantime, Holmes's sentencing is set for June 21, 2023.
“This tragic case demonstrates the danger and violence that too frequently occurs when convicted felons possess firearms and engage in illegal drug trafficking,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “I am grateful for the exceptional courage and bravery of law enforcement officers, who put their personal safety at risk to protect our community, and I commend the ATF agents involved for their exceptional professionalism in rendering life-saving aid to Mr. Holmes before he could be treated at a hospital. Our community is stronger as a result of these agents’ tremendous service.”
The undercover agent was treated for his injuries at the hospital and has since been released. However, the attorney's office says Holmes caused the agent "serious and permanent bodily injury."
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