CRIME WATCH FOLLOWUP: Camp Second Chance gunfire suspect charged

| Crime | Myers Way | West Seattle news

(Seattle Police photo)

The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has filed three felony charges against the man arrested last Thursday for firing a gun at Camp Second Chance, the tiny-home encampment in southeast West Seattle. 73-year-old Steven N. Phillips is charged with second-degree assault, unlawful gun possession, and unlawful firearm discharge. The charging documents say he was not allowed to possess a gun because of convictions including attempted residential burglary in 2009. He has older charges in three other states going back to 1975. The charges recap what was previously alleged – that Phillips started firing from his unit around 12:30 pm, about six shots. That’s according to the staff member who went to check on him; he allegedly then fired two rounds toward her, though neither she nor anyone else was injured. A friend of the suspect who lives at CSC told staffers that Phillips is a veteran with PTSD; she said he would not harm anybody and was “only going through an episode of his paranoia.” The SWAT team responded and, police say, Phillips fired another two rounds after their arrival. They talked him into surrendering and got a search warrant for his tiny house, where they found a 9mm gun, shell casings, a magazine with eight bullets, and two boxes of ammunition. Phillips’ bail is set at $400,000.

OneTimeCharley October 30, 2024 (12:00 pm)

Now he can have his “episodes of paranoia” in jail.

Derp October 30, 2024 (12:13 pm)

Wow reallyBetter yet, get him the help he needs.
- A lot of you have never dealt with people who have mental issues October 30, 2024 (11:00 pm)
  
  Let alone neighbors. The best thing is to get these people help. If it’s jail or a hospital they need to be there rather than potentially hurting people like the encampment murder that is currently being tried in court.
WS Res October 30, 2024 (1:48 pm)

Yes, jail, historically so restful and supportive for people with paranoia and PTSD. That’ll cure what ails him.
- Derp October 30, 2024 (3:19 pm)
  
  Give me some data/stats on your statement. Because that doesn’t sound like any help, more of getting him off your streets so you don’t have to deal with him. Good job, the privileged snobs of West Seattle stroke again.
  - Marina October 30, 2024 (3:36 pm)
    
    I think ws res was being sarcastic.

Alki resident October 30, 2024 (12:18 pm)

He’s a veteran with PTSD and was obviously homeless. He’s 73 and should be taken care of and it upsets me that this is happening to our vets. Especially at this age. I hope charges will be dismissed soon..He doesn’t belong in jail.

Anne October 30, 2024 (1:28 pm)

Then commit him-because he’s a danger to himself & others. Has been able to possess firearms even though he’s not supposed to. Get him the help he needs for sure-but that needs to be in a hospital where he can’t get a gun.
- Alki resident October 30, 2024 (1:46 pm)
  
  You can get a gun any day of the week. He needs to be on meds that can help him get through his day, not be institutionalized. Zero reason to “ commit” him.
Keep voting for Reichert October 30, 2024 (4:41 pm)

As you have advocated on other posts and people like this will continue get the helpful R treatment which is blocking bills that will actually help. 🤡

K October 30, 2024 (12:32 pm)

It’s so sad how we’ve abandoned our veterans to manage their own mental health issues, leaving them in and out of homelessness or incarceration. I’d like to hope he’ll get the help he needs, but jail won’t do that, and neither will the homeless shuffle.

CarDriver October 30, 2024 (2:08 pm)

K. Simple reasons here. 1)Money. How much a month would you be happy to pay? 2) Facilities. Will you lobby to have a facility built on your block that would house those needing mental health or drug treatments? 3)People. Will you change careers or tell you children/family that they must pursue a career as a mental health/drug Counceller? Here’s what will actually happen. ALL the “caring” people, when presented with the bill will say “I can’t afford this!” Get those “rich people over there” to pay. We need facilities “JUST NOT NEAR ME!!” My kids want to make a good living. I can’t tell them to be a counceller that doesn’t pay “techie” wages.

K October 30, 2024 (3:18 pm)

1) We’re already paying the money. It would just be redirected to a more helpful resource (average cost of incarceration is about $60k/year). 2) Well, they’re already living on my block in RVs. At least if it were indoor shelter, there would be more street parking. 3) We told a whole generation they needed to be computer programmers, and now many of those jobs are paying crap wages because there is such a glut of labor. If there were more treatment facilities and workers in those fields felt some level of support and stability instead of constantly worrying when funding was going to be cut, more people would enter the field, and be able to negotiate more reasonable salaries for their level of training. Thank you for letting us know how YOU would respond when presented with a solution, but these are solvable problems and many people would be happy for a chance to help solve them.
- CarDriver October 30, 2024 (3:52 pm)
  
  K. I haven’t heard or seen anything that you mention. Where exactly is the money? I’ve NEVER heard any parent tell their kids to be a “computer geek” EVERY parent I know is thrilled when their child has a career they enjoy-no matter what it is. I’ve also never heard anybody complaining about the state of mental health support or those mentally ill people wandering the streets unless a problem shows up in THEIR back yard or they’re angry “someone” isn’t “fixing it”.
  - K October 30, 2024 (4:58 pm)
    
    I’m sorry you live in a cave. I don’t think there’s anything I can say that will remedy that.
    - CarDriver October 31, 2024 (6:29 am)
      
      K. No remedy needed. The cave I live in is called the real world. I’m very happy to live here with my eyes and ears wide open.
  - jedidiahperkins October 31, 2024 (11:45 am)
    
    Hey CarDriver. Personally, I would be ecstatic if America would spend less of my tax dollars on having “the most lethal military in the world,” and spend more of my tax dollars on social safety nets. There, I found the money!

Midi October 30, 2024 (2:35 pm)

I really appreciate the extra context shared and why it’s so harmful to jump to conclusions without info. Imagine how scared he must have been, in a PTSD episode where he felt firing a gun was the only way to gain safety. And, it’s scary for the people around with bullets flying. It’s just tragic all around.

Johnny Stulic October 30, 2024 (4:44 pm)

If anyone is ever wondering why Seattle is overrun with drug addicts and crime is up, just read the comment section under city crime articles like this. The amount of crocodile tears and performative compassion at all cost is astounding. Here, for example, we have a criminal with a rap sheet dating back decades who is arrested after randomly firing an illegal weapon in the house paid and fully subsidized by taxpayers. Miraculously no one is killed this time around. What is the first reaction of the performative compassion crowd? Release him from jail asap!!! Laws are only for suckers, i.e. taxpayers.
But wait! The PerCom crowd has a solution! It is… wait for it… “get him the help he needs”.
Of course, it is never explained just how he’s supposed to “get the help he needs” and what it constitutes even though he was living in a free house with all social services, including Medicare/Medicaid/VM available to him, and committing people to mental institutions is illegal no matter how much danger they present to themselves and others. Just get him out of jail and get him the help he needs. There, I am a Performative Compassion person and I’ve done my good deed for today. Where is my medal?

Buttercup October 30, 2024 (9:34 pm)

I agree with what you say, I would like to add that even though he has PTSD he has full knowledge that he is not allowed guns, he snuck them on a gun free sight along with much ammunition. His PTSD does not make this acceptable and he needs to be held accountable for his actions. He chose to have them while knowing he has mental health issues.
WS Res October 31, 2024 (1:00 pm)

“What is the first reaction of the performative compassion crowd? Release him from jail asap!!! Laws are only for suckers, i.e. taxpayers.” Is there a second, parallel WSB site somewhere? Because I’m reading over the previous comments and I’m failing to see where these ‘quotes’ are coming from.

Jethro Marx October 30, 2024 (5:39 pm)

”in a PTSD episode where he felt firing a gun was the only way to gain safety”

This is new information, unless you’re guessing that this is what was going through his mind, which would be pretty strange for you to do.

john October 30, 2024 (6:15 pm)

Jumping to conclusions without information?
From the story above, the information is ‘telephone game and hearsay apparently provided by “CSC staffers” who apparently told WSB that a friend of the suspect had claimed he is a veteran with PTSD and vouched that “he would not harm anybody.”

In contrast, his official police record of convictions in three different states goes back to 1975 with a burglary in 2009.
I’m not familiar with PTSD causing people to become burglars.
He might not harm anybody but those ten shots from his gun might.
I wonder if this friend was aware of his illegal gun and how she defended the suspect firing ten rounds, over an extended period?
I wonder if any other Tiny Homes at CSC have firearms?

I think we can all agree, PTSD vet or common repeat offender, that it is not best to discharge firearms inside a Tiny House Village and people like him are best treated elsewhere.

Psychiatric nurse October 30, 2024 (6:42 pm)

This is in response for those of you who commented on low pay for mental health workers.
I worked in mental health for 35 years, mostly with the chronically mentally ill and also had the privilege of working in the 80’s with Vietnam vets.

I am now retired and am living in joy knowing I gave 100% to help people struggling with mental illness and our abandoned vets who deal daily with PTSD as a result of fighting for our freedom.

I did not get rich doing it, however I can say my heart is happy that I was able to help hundreds of people.

I also had fun doing my job, I am so blessed.

I have so many fond memories of my patients.

Making lots of money in tech jobs does not equate to happiness.
Please consider a career doing the same.

WS Guy October 30, 2024 (11:49 pm)

Excellent post.

anonyme October 31, 2024 (12:45 pm)

I always find it interesting that the supposedly destitute still manage to have ample supplies of guns, ammunition – and cigarettes. The American necessities of life? Tiny house encampments, including CSC, have Code of Conduct rules prohibiting violent felons from taking up residency. Wonder how many more guns are at CSC?

CarDriver October 31, 2024 (1:26 pm)

Anonyme. Probably a lot. Probably all stolen.

alki_2008 November 1, 2024 (1:33 am)

If he is a homeless veteran, then he should be getting help from the federal government, through the VA or whatever other resources are accessible to veterans. Help for him should be funded by the federal government. If he has PTSD, and especially if that PTSD is from his military service, then the federal government should have healthcare workers that are accustomed to that type of issue and be best able to help him. Veterans should be getting that support for their service.It often seems people try to lump all homelessness as one monolith, but there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. What he needs is going to be different from what a drug addict needs vs what a single mother fleeing from a DV situation needs, etc. Let the federal government pay for veterans’ and that means the state/county/city funds can go further for non-veterans.

Sorry, comment time is over.