Stepdad: Border guard shooter sent text to mother
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SEATTLE (AP) - An unarmed Canadian border guard shot in her booth at a busy U.S.-Canada crossing north of Seattle was on her way to a full recovery Wednesday as investigators worked to determine why a 32-year-old tattoo artist from Washington state fired at her before committing suicide.
Andrew Michael Crews of Seattle was driving a van into Canada when he shot Officer Lori Bowcock in the neck Tuesday afternoon at a border crossing at Blaine, then turned the gun on himself, authorities said. Crews died at the scene.
His stepfather, Danny Lupinek of Henderson, Nev., said Wednesday that Crews texted his mother hours before the shooting to say he loved her - and was sorry.
Lupinek said Crews didn't explain what he meant in his text, and the family was unable to reach him after that. He said Crews had given no indication he was upset or headed to Canada.
Meanwhile, investigators also tried to piece together a motive for Crews' actions.
"The current evidence clearly indicates that prior to taking his own life, Mr. Crews deliberately fired at the victim," said Superintendent Kevin Hackett of the British Columbia homicide investigative team handling the probe. "There is no evidence, however, to suggest the victim was specifically targeted."
He did not elaborate.
Agents with Homeland Security Investigations were assisting British Columbia authorities by following leads on the U.S. side of the border, said Andrew Munoz, spokesman for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Bowcock remained hospitalized Wednesday in British Columbia.
"She is in stable condition and is expected to make a full recovery," Roslyn MacVicar, the Canada Border Services Agency's Pacific regional director, said in a statement. "Her mother and brothers are by her side."
Bowcock worked as a civilian dispatcher at police headquarters in London, Ontario, until last spring. As a new border guard, she had not yet completed training that would allow her to carry a gun, the Border Services Agency said.
Crews had lived in the Bremerton area but recently moved to the Seattle area.
Friends said Crews had worked at a Lucky Boys tattoo parlor in Silverdale, near Bremerton, and Lupinek confirmed that his stepson had worked as a tattoo artist. Lucky Boys' phone rang unanswered late Wednesday.
"He's nice. He's just really down to earth," tattoo client Courtnee Riggs told KOMO News. "He seemed normal and happy and liked punk rock. It's just crazy."
Immediately after the shooting, officers swarmed the scene and closed the Peace Arch border crossing as they interviewed witnesses and searched for clues. Investigators blocked off the area around Bowcock's booth with yellow crime-scene tape and examined Crews' white van, which sat with its back doors open revealing a mattress inside.
Kevin McAllister, assistant general manager at the Peace Portal Golf Course, which is adjacent to the border crossing, said an employee and several guests told him they had heard two shots fired.
The Peace Arch border about 100 miles north of Seattle is the third-busiest between the United States and Canada. Last month, it averaged 9,000 U.S.-bound cars a day, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Canadian officials reopened the crossing's southbound lanes Wednesday afternoon. The northbound lanes were scheduled to reopen Thursday.
In the meantime, drivers were diverted to other crossings, including the nearby Pacific Highway crossing, said U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman Mike Milne.
Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire said she spoke to British Columbia Premier Christy Clark and pledged the state's cooperation and help in the investigation.
"This tragedy hits especially close to home, and reminds us all that our public safety officers put their lives on the line every day to protect the rest of us," Gregoire said.
Her remarks were echoed by the president of the Canada Border Services Agency.
"This is a profound reminder of the risks that border services officers assume every day," Luc Portelance said in a statement from Ottawa. "I know that the courage and dedication of our officers are second to none."
___
Associated Press writer Kathy McCarthy contributed to this report.
Andrew Michael Crews of Seattle was driving a van into Canada when he shot Officer Lori Bowcock in the neck Tuesday afternoon at a border crossing at Blaine, then turned the gun on himself, authorities said. Crews died at the scene.
His stepfather, Danny Lupinek of Henderson, Nev., said Wednesday that Crews texted his mother hours before the shooting to say he loved her - and was sorry.
Lupinek said Crews didn't explain what he meant in his text, and the family was unable to reach him after that. He said Crews had given no indication he was upset or headed to Canada.
Meanwhile, investigators also tried to piece together a motive for Crews' actions.
"The current evidence clearly indicates that prior to taking his own life, Mr. Crews deliberately fired at the victim," said Superintendent Kevin Hackett of the British Columbia homicide investigative team handling the probe. "There is no evidence, however, to suggest the victim was specifically targeted."
He did not elaborate.
Agents with Homeland Security Investigations were assisting British Columbia authorities by following leads on the U.S. side of the border, said Andrew Munoz, spokesman for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Bowcock remained hospitalized Wednesday in British Columbia.
"She is in stable condition and is expected to make a full recovery," Roslyn MacVicar, the Canada Border Services Agency's Pacific regional director, said in a statement. "Her mother and brothers are by her side."
Bowcock worked as a civilian dispatcher at police headquarters in London, Ontario, until last spring. As a new border guard, she had not yet completed training that would allow her to carry a gun, the Border Services Agency said.
Crews had lived in the Bremerton area but recently moved to the Seattle area.
Friends said Crews had worked at a Lucky Boys tattoo parlor in Silverdale, near Bremerton, and Lupinek confirmed that his stepson had worked as a tattoo artist. Lucky Boys' phone rang unanswered late Wednesday.
"He's nice. He's just really down to earth," tattoo client Courtnee Riggs told KOMO News. "He seemed normal and happy and liked punk rock. It's just crazy."
Immediately after the shooting, officers swarmed the scene and closed the Peace Arch border crossing as they interviewed witnesses and searched for clues. Investigators blocked off the area around Bowcock's booth with yellow crime-scene tape and examined Crews' white van, which sat with its back doors open revealing a mattress inside.
Kevin McAllister, assistant general manager at the Peace Portal Golf Course, which is adjacent to the border crossing, said an employee and several guests told him they had heard two shots fired.
The Peace Arch border about 100 miles north of Seattle is the third-busiest between the United States and Canada. Last month, it averaged 9,000 U.S.-bound cars a day, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Canadian officials reopened the crossing's southbound lanes Wednesday afternoon. The northbound lanes were scheduled to reopen Thursday.
In the meantime, drivers were diverted to other crossings, including the nearby Pacific Highway crossing, said U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman Mike Milne.
Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire said she spoke to British Columbia Premier Christy Clark and pledged the state's cooperation and help in the investigation.
"This tragedy hits especially close to home, and reminds us all that our public safety officers put their lives on the line every day to protect the rest of us," Gregoire said.
Her remarks were echoed by the president of the Canada Border Services Agency.
"This is a profound reminder of the risks that border services officers assume every day," Luc Portelance said in a statement from Ottawa. "I know that the courage and dedication of our officers are second to none."
___
Associated Press writer Kathy McCarthy contributed to this report.
Pretty odd that he would target a canadian border guard and not a US guard. Maybe he had a bad experience going up to Canada once. Use to cross there every night, never had a problem on the canadian side. It was always the US side that you had to do a lot of baby sitting.
@Blindman Must wonder if he even understood the difference...
I'm glad the border guard is going to recover, and I hope that her future will be bright and she can heal psychologically as well as physically. I am also sorry the young man's family and friends, and whatever was going on with him- I'm sorry he saw this as the proper course of action.
being fully commissioned and armed would not have helped her, I am afraid. Can't beat surprise. I am glad to hear she is going to be o.k. physically. Man, mentally, can you imagine? From now on, every border crosser is a potential shooter, in her eyes. Who could blame her. We can all come down hard on the shooter as an evil something, or what have you, and I am not making excuses on his behalf, but I strongly believe in investing time and resources getting the full story. His autopsy will unveil any chemical answers, but there might be more.Â
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If you ever get an out-of-context text message, email, or voice mail from a loved one that starts or ends with "I love you" and starts or ends with "I am sorry", be concerned.Â
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 @bagsofdirt If you look at the "Under the Needle" website in Belltown where he worked, there is no mention of him whatsoever as an employee.Â
What a selfish person, update or not.
Stawicki, Crews....We sure have some violent hipsters around here, don't we?
photographed with a big beer in front of him. I wonder if drugs or alcohol were a factor
 @kingkurtis It's just a pint glass.
 @Hountoof  @kingkurtis It comes in pints?
if people are making or looking for jokes on an article of this nature, they have issues of their own.
 @DarkParty  @Mumblix Grumph  @kingkurtis Oh son of a...disregard!
 @Hountoof  @Mumblix Grumph  @kingkurtis Think you missed the joke.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmFnv-TZzRs
 @Mumblix Grumph  @kingkurtis A pint glass is a style of glassware that is meant to be used for certain styles of beer. They typically hold one American pint (12 fluid ounces). Unless you are in an establishment that caters to the craft beer crowd, you will almost always have your beer poured into a pint glass in this part of the world, regardless of the style of beer.
i'm glad to hear she's expected to make a full recovery... and i'm also glad seattle just lost one homicidal + suicidal maniac...
Crazy SOB !
So another self-mutilating freak has done something evil ? Big surpise.
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Speedy recovery to the officer.
 @localperspective Do you equate the decision to obtain tattoos and piercings with evil? How odd.
 @Jill  @localperspective Maybe something to do with poor decision making skills?
 @localperspective Wow that was a stretch. Someone who chooses to decorate their body is no more likely to do harm than those who do not. I think you are watching too much Sons of Anarchy.
@Mumblix Grumph @Jill @localperspective
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Extreme tattooing, earl lobe streched out, metal in the face , etc.
In my experience, this is an outward display of inner turmoil and self-hatred.
Many that are part of the body art culture are extrmely extroverted. Here we have the worst of both.
An extreme extrovert that attempts to kill a stranger and then commits the ultimate from of self-hatred, suicide.
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 @localperspective why r u not surpised, sorry komo just asking
 Ah, I'm sorry. Can we hear more about the one he shot? Yeah, what's more nice and down to Earth than a crazy man with a gun? Yeah, nice and down to Earth my ass!
Two free nations divided by a armed military border...what a sham against the people of Canada and the USA, I remember riding my bike across the line with a simple smile and a wave from the border agents.....we have been conditioned too accept the military style intrusion at are border....NAME, ADDRESS, PASSPORT, , you get the picture!
So which is it? Â Did the bullet go through him and hit her (as reported this morning) or did he shoot her and then himself? Â No matter what happened, the 'why' will probably never be know, but I hope he left his loved ones an explanation of why he felt he needed to end his life. Â It's hard enough to go through that, but when you don't know anything, it makes the pain even more unbearable.
 @Doxie Sadly most people who commit suicide do it for selfish reason, and they rarely tell you why. This whole case is sad all around. We will never know why Mr Crews felt that he needed to harm/maim/kill his unintended victim and then why he killed himself. Hopefully his autopsy, and clues that the police find will shed light on this senseless tragedy.
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G-d speed Lori, may your recovery be swift and may you find peace in life.
I disagree that "most" people do it for a selfish reason and agree with Doxies statement below that a lot of people do it because they are in such overwhelming amounts of emotional pain because they see no other way out and are just blinded by that volume of pain coming at them. Â
 @yentaleh Well, having just been through this, I think a lot of people who do it feel such deep despair that they don't see another way out of that pain. Â
I too hope that the officer will be OK; sounds like she's on the way to being healed.
What an evil, violent, worthless guy Mr. Crews turned out to be. Hate to say it, but it's a real shame that he was ever born.
 @Whobeke I say the exact same thing about the Seattle police with each incident of lying on reports, making false arrests, lying about charges and outright assaulting people. Â
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@Andrew Bush @Whobeke wow, what a way to slide in your hatred of law enforcement. I suppose had this guard been an American, she would have had it coming? Were you molested by a cop at a young age? Your hatred for cops is amazing. If you are going to hate on people, how about criminals?
My Nephew is a GOOD Officer who was almost killed in the line of duty the other day, protecting people like YOU. Shut yer piehole.
 @Andrew Bush  @Whobeke AB - few tools short of a tool shed.Â
 @CB  @Andrew Bush  @Whobekethe constant sound of 5khz
@CB @Andrew Bush @Whobeke - a few fries short of the Happy Meal ;)
 @Andrew Bush  @Whobeke Do you EVER give it a rest? There ARE good cops out there Andrew, but as much as you hate them, and spew your contempt on a CONSTANT, repetitive basis, I kind of hope that one of the BAD ones pulls you over and gives you a REASON for your hatred.
 @Andrew Bush  @Whobeke Man you are obsessed. This has nothing to do with SPD. Get over it already!
gotta wonder with these shooters, WHY? What's the REAL story behind all of this? Don't be fooled by the press, people - these are all just coverups. First, it was the TSA, now it will be the border patrol. Look at the theater shooting in Colorado. The government wants to have ALL the control over its citizens. Don't believe me? Go check out the FEMA camps (there's one by Discovery Park in Seattle) - the barb wires on the fence point IN. To keep people INSIDE. It's been used before in the Seattle riots, it will be used again. We all need to stand together on this!! That's how we all win...(yes, I've been listening to Nickelback!)
 @libertygirl777  Really?  where were you during the riots when they were used?  where were you during the Bush years when they we being built by Halliburton?  Â
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Why the sudden conspiracy calls? Â or are you a Ron Paul supporter? Â
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@maggie112 @Tango_Bravo @Libertygirl777 - little maggie, muslin is a fabric. Might want to learn how to proofread versus just trusting your iPhone.
 @Tango_Bravo  Muslim Socialist?  Fox news has done a number on you. Â
He shot her right through the glass. Â I just assumed they would at least have the same protection as any check cashing store. Â
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There's a mattress in the back of the van.  wonder if it was an overnight trip for weed.Â
 @Andrew Bush he dident have any, maybe hes tired of being homeless or that PSD,,pdsd?
This the weirdest PR release sequence I've ever read. Why is a union releasing data and not the investigating agency? Is the border patrol doing the investigation, and if so, why can't they count bullets? Also, this tool was probably on drugs or he would have offed himself in a quiet corner and been forgotten about like he should.
 @jelisized spice is not tested for... in conclusive. drugs?
only 10% of the real whats happen hits the news . he must of been making sure this did
@maggie112 - is there any reason why you can't put together a coherent sentence? Try removing the tin foil hat little girl and join the real world.
The moron had to drive all the way up to the border to off himself? Why couldn't he just do it without hurting anyone else?
What happened to the story of earlier this morning suggesting the shooter shot at random, vs. the story that came out later in the day that suggested he in fact DID select her as the target....?!?!
Rest of story, please.