He pleaded guilty in a Pasco death. Now he’s wanted for a Kennewick shooting

A man previously accused of a Pasco murder and awaiting trial for allegedly strangling his girlfriend is now facing charges for shooting a Kennewick woman in the chin.

A nationwide arrest warrant has been issued for Nathaniel Thompson, 31, after he was charged with first-degree assault after he shot a woman outside of North Tweedt Street apartment building.

The woman had gotten into an argument with Thompson on Oct. 28 and loaded up her children and a friend and had gone looking for him, according to court records.

Thompson and the woman apparently either had been dating or previously dated, according to court records.

The woman and her friend both drove separate cars and ended up in front of the apartment building at 8:45 p.m.. Witnesses said the 27-year-old woman got out of the car, and Thompson came out of the apartment.

As they approached each other, the woman sprayed a “bottle of mace” at Thompson, according to court records. Thompson responded by taking out a gun and shooting her in the chin.

The .45-caliber bullet hit her in the chin, and she was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition. Her current condition was not available, but police said she is recovering.

Thompson ran and Kennewick police are asking for help finding him. Anyone with information is asked to call the non-emergency dispatch number at 509-628-0333.

Previous shooting

Thompson wrapped up a four-year prison sentence in February 2020 in connection to December 2016 shooting of Thomas Contreras De Leon.

He was sentenced in April 2018 three weeks after his half-brother Simeon C.E. Howard received a 7-year sentence.

Both were former convicts who acknowledged illegally having a gun and committing assault

De Leon, 27, and Thompson first started arguing while they were at Joker’s nightclub on Dec. 29, 2016. They left separately, but De Leon told a friend to track Thompson down so they could settle things.

Another friend told police he tried to talk De Leon out of the meeting, but De Leon and his friends were waiting when Thompson drove by and parked down the street.

Evidence at the scene showed “bullets were flying in opposite directions” and a Washington State Patrol Crime Lab report showed at least two guns were involved, Prosecutor Shawn Sant wrote in court records.

This made it hard to prove the shooting was premeditated and that Howard and Thompson weren’t acting to defend themselves.

Thompson pleaded guilty to third-degree assault and first-degree unlawful possession of a gun.

His criminal history also included first-degree burglary and second-degree assault, both while armed with a deadly weapon.

Strangled girlfriend

Then on Sept. 7, Thompson’s girlfriend said he choked her after they argued about another woman he was sleeping with.

The other woman was reportedly pregnant with Thompson’s child.

After she was able to get away from him, and he followed her with a belt in his hand. She blocked him with a chair in the kitchen.

Thompson also allegedly threatened to kill her, according to court records.

He was charged with second-degree assault and felony harassment in Franklin County Superior Court.

He was released from jail on $25,000 bail.