Gary R. Bender, a 73-year-old man, was killed on April 27, 2026, inside his home in unincorporated Clark County near Vancouver, Washington. Authorities said the shooting happened at a residence in the 19700 block of Northeast Davis Road, near the Northeast Ward Road area close to Hockinson. Online reports identified Bender as the victim in what investigators described as a homicide involving a firearm.
The morning began with a call for help from a neighboring residence. Around 11:13 a.m., Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency received a 911 call reporting that gunshots had been heard nearby. Clark County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to the home and found Bender inside with apparent gunshot wounds to his chest. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators quickly focused on 34-year-old Brian E. Kangas of Battle Ground. According to the sheriff's office, witnesses said Kangas and Bender had been alone inside the residence before the shooting. After the gunfire, Kangas was reportedly seen leaving the area on a bicycle. Deputies located him less than half an hour after the 911 call, near Northeast 182nd Avenue and Risto Road, and took him into custody without incident at about 11:42 a.m.
Authorities said Kangas had a handgun when deputies found him, and the weapon was seized as evidence. The Clark County Sheriff's Office Major Crimes Unit arrested Kangas for the alleged murder of Bender. Jail booking information listed Brian Eric Kangas as booked in Clark County on April 27, 2026, with a reported charge of second-degree murder under Washington statute 9A.32.050.
Additional reporting based on court records said Bender's wife ran to a neighboring residence after the shooting and said she believed someone had been shot. She reportedly told the neighbor that a man had come to their home, and after she went to another residence on the property, she heard gunshots. Another neighbor reportedly saw a man matching Kangas's description leaving on a bicycle and gave that information to authorities.
Those same court-record reports said deputies found Bender seated in a recliner in a guest house on the property, with his shirt soaked in blood, and that two spent cartridge casings were found nearby. When Kangas was arrested, deputies reportedly recovered a Ruger LCP. 380 ACP semiautomatic pistol with one cartridge chambered and two cartridges in the magazine. A sheriff's sergeant reportedly noted that Kangas had a history of mental illness based on previous patrol calls.
Kangas appeared in Clark County Superior Court after his arrest on an allegation of second-degree murder, and reporting indicated he was being held without bail at that stage. Authorities did not publicly release a motive in the immediate aftermath, and the sheriff's office said the investigation remained active. The Bender family requested privacy as they grieved.
