There were two shooters at Olympia protests and WSP detectives are still asking for public help to find witnesses

WSP seeks witnesses to shootings in Olympia
Photos courtesy WSP

Detectives now have reason to believe that two shots were fired during the protests in Olympia on Saturday. One shooter, Forest M. Machala, is now in custody and has been charged.

He was originally thought to be from Shoreline, but court documents say that he has lived in Bellingham for the past five years.

Current information says that someone in the crowd he fired at returned fire. The first shot injured a protestor who underwent surgery. It is unknown if the second shot hit anyone.

Witness to shootings?
Photo courtesy WSP

WSP Detectives are seeking the public’s assistance with identifying the person in these photos. 

This individual is a person of interest in the shooting that occurred at the Capitol Campus just after 2pm. on December 12, 2020. 

They are not a suspect in the shooting but may be a material witness with information about the shooting. 

Detectives would like to speak to the person in the photos about the events that led up to the shooting. 

Anyone with information or video of the incident, including the minutes just prior to the shooting, or that is able to identify the person in this photo, is encouraged to contact WSP detectives.

If you have information that may help detectives in this case contact Detective Sergeant Matt Wood at 360-704-2955 or by email at sistips@wsp.wa.gov.