Accused Gig Harbor grocery shooter now charged with murder
TACOMA, Wash. - A 20-year-old woman accused of opening fire and shooting three people in a Gig Harbor grocery is now charged with murder after one of the victims died.
Laura K. Sorenson appeared Friday in Pierce County Superior Court, where prosecutors filed a charge of first-degree murder against her two months after the death of David Long, 40, of Wauna.
She is charged with attempted murder and assault in the attacks on the other two victims.
Sorenson is accused of walking into the Peninsula Market at Lake Kathryn Village just before 1 p.m. on Aug. 11 and firing at customers until she was tackled to the ground.
Long was the most seriously injured of the three victims. He was hit in the torso by a bullet that went through his body and out his back. He was taken to Tacoma General Hospital, where he remained until his death in October.
One other man was hit in the leg by gunfire. A third man, a store cashier, was wounded from a ricochet.
According to court documents, witnesses told police that Sorenson said something about "killing" people prior to pulling out a revolver from her purse and firing four to five shots.
After the shooting, Sorenson revealed to detectives she has a mental condition and is on medication, documents said, adding she wanted to kill herself and wanted to know what it felt like to kill someone else first. Sorensen also told detectives she had been molested as a young child and hated men, prosecutors said.
Long's sister, Heidi Michaelson, attended Friday's court hearing and said the murder charge against Sorenson is "warranted."
"He was murdered by her. So it's finally ... it took two months, but that's OK ... as long as it got done," she said.
She said seeing Sorenson is court made her "physically ill."
"I just wanted to reach across and strangle her," she said. "He suffered for eight long weeks. Yes, he suffered. I just wanted to ask her how it feels to know that she did what she went into the grocery store to do, and that was to kill somebody."
She said she sees similarities between the grocery shooting that resulted in her brother's death and the massacre at Sandy Hook school in Newtown, Conn.
"It's horrible. ... I call her mentally evil," said Michaelson. "These people need a new name. It's mentally evil. Because mentally ill people, a lot of them don't do this type of thing."
Sorenson's bail remains unchanged at $1.5 million.
Laura K. Sorenson appeared Friday in Pierce County Superior Court, where prosecutors filed a charge of first-degree murder against her two months after the death of David Long, 40, of Wauna.
She is charged with attempted murder and assault in the attacks on the other two victims.
Sorenson is accused of walking into the Peninsula Market at Lake Kathryn Village just before 1 p.m. on Aug. 11 and firing at customers until she was tackled to the ground.
Long was the most seriously injured of the three victims. He was hit in the torso by a bullet that went through his body and out his back. He was taken to Tacoma General Hospital, where he remained until his death in October.
One other man was hit in the leg by gunfire. A third man, a store cashier, was wounded from a ricochet.
According to court documents, witnesses told police that Sorenson said something about "killing" people prior to pulling out a revolver from her purse and firing four to five shots.
After the shooting, Sorenson revealed to detectives she has a mental condition and is on medication, documents said, adding she wanted to kill herself and wanted to know what it felt like to kill someone else first. Sorensen also told detectives she had been molested as a young child and hated men, prosecutors said.
Long's sister, Heidi Michaelson, attended Friday's court hearing and said the murder charge against Sorenson is "warranted."
"He was murdered by her. So it's finally ... it took two months, but that's OK ... as long as it got done," she said.
She said seeing Sorenson is court made her "physically ill."
"I just wanted to reach across and strangle her," she said. "He suffered for eight long weeks. Yes, he suffered. I just wanted to ask her how it feels to know that she did what she went into the grocery store to do, and that was to kill somebody."
She said she sees similarities between the grocery shooting that resulted in her brother's death and the massacre at Sandy Hook school in Newtown, Conn.
"It's horrible. ... I call her mentally evil," said Michaelson. "These people need a new name. It's mentally evil. Because mentally ill people, a lot of them don't do this type of thing."
Sorenson's bail remains unchanged at $1.5 million.
If you don't like Washington State, leave, this is the wrong forum to bring up politics, but then there are people who love to criticise no matter what. Inappropriate.. Alaska Dreamin's remark was pertinent to this conversation, Sentryone's was not,  just cruel. It takes less energy to be nice, but some feel the need to put others down in order to feel good about themselves, and to use it when discussing another's murder is really inappropriate.
i work in a grocery store in port orchard. i try to be nice to every person that walks through the door. u never know what people are thinking or what they are packing
Relax, it's Washington State. Â The hug-me-state. Â Send her to Seattle, an official sanctuary city. Â they'll take care of her.
It's it great to be such a liberal state when these things happen? Â No fast track here. Â Nope. Â Even in prison, she'll live another 14-20 years before she gets out.
Normally I'm not a big fan of the death penalty, but some people just need killin'.
So she was rightfully charged with murder; like Tuba Man's killers SHOULD have been...
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They, too, are "mentally evil" as well. An appropriate term, Ms. Michaelson.
I was molested as a child and raped as a teenager; I have taken medication for depression and anxiety; I have been suicidal. NEVER once have I even considered taking the life of another human being because I was angry that these things happened to me. Her defense is a pathetic excuse, she deserves to be found guilty and punished to the fullest extent of the law, end of story.
Thank you for your contribution to the conversation, it must have been difficult for you to write that, appreciate your input.
 @kramouse Once I really understood that what happened was not my fault it became easier to talk about it, and being on an anonymous forum helps too, but yes it is quite painful to remember it.
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Thank you for your kind words. :-)Â
 @alaska_dreamin Sorry - was the story about you?
 @sentryoneÂ
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You are an unadulterated ass.
 @sentryone Troll much? If you cannot understand that I was stating that even though I have a similar abuse history to the perpetrator in this story and that even I think it is not an excuse for what she has done then I have no choice but to conclude that you either can't read with any degree of comprehension or you are simply a troll. I am inclined to believe you are a troll.
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yep, the reason she was thrown to the ground and arrested is because, no one should have a right to kill anyone! not even yourself. not in the USA !  move, go help the commy"s
She needs to pay for her crimes with her life.
If everyone who has been 'molested as a child' started shooting up places and people, there would be quite a few people dead. She had no thought of suicide or if she did, it was brief. Just another POS who wants to kill others. Too bad we still don't have the electric chair or the gas chamber for people like her.
The "mental condition" card was played again. Â For crying out loud, we have an entire generation (Gen Y) that supposedly has a mental condition. Â Everyone is on meds, WTF?
 @31F no one has jobs or money. how do u eat? were do u go?what the heck do u do ? shouldn't have to lay down and die? after a few weeks what else happens? i bet most rather live. i bet a type of hysteria kicks in , totally numb. yep, mental condition.
 @31F Its the meds. Look at every mass shooting we've had in the past couple of years, Including the sergeant that shot up all those afghans. They all have one thing in common, they were on prescription psychotropic drugs.
 @Blindman  @31F True, however there are an equal if not more number who have committed terrible acts that were off their medications. Not saying medication is the end-all be-all...sometimes they really do help, no one can be forced to take them, systems are not in place to make sure the meds are working, and sometimes they have terrible, terrible effects. Sure wish it was easier...either way, this woman is terrible. Best thoughts to Mr. Long's family and friends.
 @Blindman  @31F yep, should try pot instead of pills made with chemicals that have obviously.... the try this then take that dident work try this.... well maybe that. 15 different pills later.
If she is trying to plead insanity screw that... fry her and take that matriarchy sentiment with her to hell! If there is such place there is a special place reserved just for her... she should have done the world a favor and taken herself out instead of going on her little vendetta against the opposite sex!
Man, does she look angry. Â You can just see the hate in her face.
Oh someone just had a big swig of NRA kool-aid...
 @Windowseat Who are you talking to?
Notice that the story leaves out the type of gun used. It was a .357 revolver. Too bad for the media.
@komoispropaganda Would you have prefered that she have an AR-15 with a 30 round clip?Â
 @lakeview  My comment was about media manipulation and how they conveniently leave out facts to further their propaganda agenda.
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I would prefer this didn't happen.
the whole "I'm mentally ill so that's why I did it" excuse is so OLD!!!
so how did she obtain a gun being she had to be seeing a doctor who prescribed her medicine for her mental illness.Or dose the clause about mental illness and owning a gun have to be documented in court? (if she obtained it legally)
@Cindertang She stole it from her grandma and grandpa while they were home, just walked out with it.
 @CindertangÂ
The pistol was stolen, illegally I might add. Â Also, as she is NOT 21 it is illegal (already) for her to purchase a pistol. Â
 @NWFreeman  @Cindertang As opposed to legally stolen ?
 @Cindertang I believe she stole the weapon from her grandmother. Follow the old story link.
 @Cindertang Yes it has to be a court  defined mental illness and there is no cross reference database anyways. So even if someone had been institutionalized they can still buy a gun. It supposed to be on the honor system.lol
Its not the gun that was the problem in this case. Its the horrible prescription drugs people are being prescribed instead of actually getting professional help for their problem. Virtually no testing of prescription drugs and all drugs only mask symptoms anyways. They do nothing to cure the problem.
 @Blindman Laws need to be tweaked a bit.
There should be a database. If doctors get flagged for prescribing opioid based meds and they do. why cant the same system be used . I will tell you why because over half the people that own a gun would get charged with lying on their app to purchase a gun and lose their right to own one.
 @Cindertang  @Blindman Citation please?  Or are you just talking out your rear end like most armchair statisticians?
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 @Cindertang But even flagging doctors for prescribing opioids is a joke. People just go to multiple doctors for multiple prescriptions. So as usual the government goes at these things from the wrong angle. For a concealed weapons license they ask you on the form if you have mental issues.lol People just need to get back to situational awareness like we use to. You're the only one responsible for your own personal safety so pay attention.
 @Blindman  @Cindertang This girl is a well documented sociopath.  Her prescription meds didn't make her one, she just IS one.  Don't blame the meds for her sickness.  That's just an excuse to keep from blaming the criminal.
 @Blindman  @Cindertang Again, let's blame an inanimate object instead of the criminal.  "It couldn't be HER fault.  It must be the drug's fault."Â
 @NWFreeman  @Cindertang Just because she's a sociopath doesn't mean she was destined to kill. There are a lot of famous people that are sociopaths. If there was some sort of mental health industry that people could get access to a lot of these things wouldn't happen. These psychotropic drugs are not the cure, they're the problem.
Good! Throw her in for life! The only thing I don't like is her bail. Shouldn't this nut ball be denied bail?
 @Zoso Denying her bail might seem excessive and could give the defense means to fight the charges......there is no way she is going to come up with 1.5 million for bail, so it serves it's purpose while making sure there can't be a claim of violated civil rights later.