2 bodies from Tri-Cities shooting, arson rampage too burned for positive IDs
No identifications had been made Thursday of those who died in the shooting and arson spree Wednesday morning across the Tri-Cities.
Benton County Coroner Bill Leach told the Herald that two men were too badly burned for a positive identification. They included the suspect in the case, who died in a burning pickup after a shootout with police in West Richland, and one of three victims.
As of Thursday morning, police had yet to call coroner officials to another Kennewick home to retrieve the bodies of two more people who are believed to be the suspect’s parents.
A couple was found at noon Wednesday at their home on the 4300 block of South Gum Street in east Kennewick where another fire apparently had been set.
Autopsies are planned Friday for the suspect and a man found dead in one of two Finley homes that burned early Wednesday morning.
The Finley victim is believed to be Emil “Bobby” Zlatich Jr., the former owner of a Zip’s restaurant in the Tri-Cities, based on information from family members to the Tri-City Herald.
Leach said identifications may be possible through dental records.
No cause of death has been determined for the suspect or the three others who died.
Another man, believed to be Zlatich’s adult son, was shot at the Finley home and taken to Trios Southridge Hospital and then flown to a trauma hospital. His condition was not available.
The 43-year-old suspect is believed to have gone on an hours-long rampage that possibly started with the deadly confrontation at a neighbor’s home about 4 a.m. That house and his own home were set on fire, along with two union halls in Kennewick.
It’s believed the same man, driving an orange Dodge pickup, led police into West Richland where the truck burst into flames about 6:30 a.m. Wednesday.
The driver reportedly fired several gunshots and four officers shot into the truck before the pickup erupted into flames with the man still inside.
This story was originally published August 26, 2021 at 12:33 PM.