New report provides timeline of deadly 3-hour rampage through Tri-Cities in August 2021

In the span of three hours, Ryan Kaufman killed three people, tried to kill two more, burned three homes and lit more than a dozen fires between Finley and Prosser.

The recently released Regional Special Investigations Unit report provides a timeline that details the Aug. 25, 2021 rampage.

Investigators found Kaufman started by setting his own home on fire about 3:30 a.m. and the violence ended when he opened fire on officers from inside his burning pickup about three hours later and they returned fire.

Est. 3:30 a.m.

Ryan Kaufman sets fire to his home and three outbuildings at 217215 E. Finley Road. The fires burn two of the buildings, his house and a car.

3:52 a.m.

Emil “Bo” Zlatich, then 28, calls 911 to report that his neighbor, Ryan Kaufman, had broken into his home and shot at him and his father and started a fire.

His dad Emil “Bobby” Zlatich III, then 58, had woken him up a few minutes earlier to warn him that Kaufman was trying to force his way inside. Soon after Kaufman blasted open their French doors with his shotgun and rushed inside.

Bo Zlatich tells police Kaufman is wearing body armor, a helmet and carrying an AR-15-style rifle.

Later analysis determined Kaufman used a shotgun to kill Emil “Bob” Zlatich, 77.

A neighbor sees Kaufman drive away in his pickup.

Est. 3:50-4:10 a.m.

Kaufman ignites a series of fires along a 4-mile stretch of Highway 397, Nine Canyon Road and Olympia Street using a flare gun.

4:13 a.m.

Witnesses see Kaufman’s orange Dodge pickup with a white camper shell pull into his parents’ neighborhood and then leave a few minutes later.

Later, other witnesses would tell investigators they heard gunshots about that time.

4:30 a.m.

Kaufman is seen on security video arriving at his IBEW union hall on Edison Street in Kennewick. He breaks into the building and sets a fire, triggering alarms. But the blaze does little damage.

4:46 a.m.

Traffic cameras catch Kaufman’s truck traveling through the city from 10th Avenue to Edison Street to Clearwater Avenue, then arriving at West Gage Boulevard.

He sets another fire at the Gage Boulevard union training center. The fire smolders and stays in one room until it’s discovered by union officials about 7:30 a.m.

5:12-5:55 a.m.

Kaufman starts five more grass fires between Richland and Prosser. Flare shell casings are found at all of them.

Est. 6 a.m.

Two people call 911 to report seeing a driver at the side of Interstate 82 standing by an orange truck with the hood up and fire coming from the engine compartment.

Kaufman appeared to be trying to put the fire out with a rag.

6:15 a.m.

Benton County Sheriff’s Deputy Tara Marks is waived over by a driver, who tells her about a pickup on fire along the shoulder of I-82 near the Yakitat Road exit.

When she gets nearer, she sees the fire is out and realizes it’s the suspect truck from the Finley shooting and fires.

She has no backup nearby so continues past.

Tri-City Regional SWAT team members initially called out to the Zlatich home in Finley are alerted to head toward Benton City.

That includes Pasco police Officer Dave Dillsworth and Benton County sheriff’s deputies Elias Perez and Ivan Hernandez.

6:25 a.m.

Kaufman sets one last fire with the flare gun on Kennedy Road.

Est. 6:26 a.m.

West Richland Police Officer Daniel Flores spots Kaufman’s truck on Kennedy Road and begins following him into West Richland.

The truck turns onto Bombing Range Road, and Flores can see him leaning over into the passenger’s side.

6:27 a.m.

Kaufman’s truck turns west onto Van Giesen Street. Shortly after making the turn, Flores notices smoke coming from the hood.

6:28 a.m.

Witnesses hear ammunition popping inside the burning truck as it heads down the street.

Kaufman is only going about 14 mph until the pickup finally stops on the sidewalk in front of a car wash.

Dillsworth, Perez and Hernandez arrive.

6:29 a.m.

Hernandez sees Kaufman in the truck turn to face him and shots are fired in Hernandez’s direction.

Hernandez, Perez, Flores and Dillsworth return fire.

Kaufman dies during the exchange. No officers are hit.

The truck continues to burn and is too unsafe for emergency crews to approach because of the exploding ammunition.

A SWAT vehicle is brought to the scene to allow officers to approach and they can see that Kaufman is dead. Fire extinguishers are deployed from inside the vehicle. .

Noon

Kaufman’s brother discovers his father Daniel Kaufman dead at his east Kennewick home and calls 911. Police would later discover their mother Vickie dead in the bedroom, as well as their two dogs. And a couch in the living room had been set on fire.

This story was originally published February 18, 2023 at 5:00 AM.