On the evening of July 15, 2016, a tragic event unfolded in a rural home southeast of Woodland, Washington, leading to the death of 36-year-old Zachary David Thompson. Thompson, a Caucasian male, was one of three individuals who lost their lives in a violent shooting.
The incident came to light when a woman, suffering from a gunshot wound to her face, managed to escape the residence and reach a local convenience store, where she pleaded for someone to call for help.
When sheriff's deputies and a SWAT team arrived at the home on Northwest 417th Street, they discovered a grim scene. Zachary David Thompson and another man, Joseph Mark Lamar, aged 38, were found deceased in the gravel driveway. Both men had sustained fatal gunshot wounds to the head. Inside the residence, deputies found the third victim, 43-year-old Janell Renee Knight, on the living room couch, also deceased from a gunshot wound.
The surviving woman, who had children with Thompson, was able to identify the shooter to investigators. This led to a manhunt for Brent W. Luyster, 35 at the time, who was known to law enforcement and had a significant and violent criminal history. Luyster was apprehended the following afternoon on Ocean Beach Highway, west of Longview.
Following his arrest, Luyster was charged with three counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Zachary Thompson, Joseph Lamar, and Janell Knight. He also faced charges of attempted first-degree murder for the surviving victim and unlawful possession of a firearm. During his initial court appearance, he was held without bail. Luyster was noted for having numerous white supremacist tattoos.
