Two additional suspects have been arrested in connection to a gang-related shooting in Birch Bay that occurred over Labor Day Weekend, bringing the total number of people taken into custody in the case to four. The Whatcom County Sheriff's Office made the most recent arrests after warrants were issued for the remaining suspects earlier in September. All four individuals now face multiple felony-level charges stemming from the incident.
What Happened on September 6
The incident began on Sunday, September 6, when 54-year-old William Huskey was approached by three men who were members of a rival motorcycle club. The men demanded that Huskey remove his gang's patches from his jacket. The demand was not made casually. In outlaw motorcycle club culture, patches and insignia represent membership, rank, and territorial affiliation, and demanding that someone remove them is a direct challenge to their standing and identity within their club. After an argument over the demand, the confrontation escalated rapidly.
Huskey drew a firearm and fired a shot that struck 40-year-old Diego Uribe-Gonzalez. Initial court documents described the wound as affecting the foot, but more recent filings clarify that the shot hit Uribe-Gonzalez in the shin. The distinction matters in terms of the severity of the injury and may be relevant to charging decisions and sentencing considerations as the case moves through the court system.
The other two men involved then retrieved their own weapons and returned fire at Huskey before all parties left the area. The confrontation took place near Birch Bay Drive in the Birch Bay area of western Whatcom County, a coastal community that draws significant summer recreation traffic. The exchange of gunfire in a populated beach area during a summer holiday weekend represented a serious public safety threat to bystanders who had no involvement in the dispute.
Huskey and 31-year-old Roman Mayne De Isla Puga were arrested in the immediate aftermath of the shooting. Warrants were then issued for Uribe-Gonzalez and a fourth suspect, identified as 39-year-old Jereme Robertson, on Wednesday, September 9. Both Uribe-Gonzalez and Robertson were taken into custody on Friday, September 11, according to court documents cited in reporting on the case.
Charges Facing All Four Suspects
All four individuals face varying charges stemming from the incident. The charges include reckless endangerment, first-degree robbery, and drive-by shooting. Each of these charges carries significant legal consequences under Washington State law.
First-degree robbery in Washington is a Class A felony, the most serious category in the state's felony classification system. A Class A felony conviction can result in substantial prison sentences and carries long-term consequences for housing, employment, and civil rights. The robbery charge in this context likely relates to the demand that Huskey surrender his patches, which prosecutors may characterize as an attempt to take personal property through force or threat of force.
The drive-by shooting charge is significant because under Washington law it covers situations in which firearms are discharged in a manner that creates a substantial risk to persons or property, including incidents in public areas. It does not require that the shooting take place from a moving vehicle, despite the name, and applies to the broader category of reckless public discharge of firearms. Reckless endangerment charges reflect the danger posed to bystanders or others in the vicinity during the exchange of gunfire in a residential and commercial beach community on a holiday weekend.
The Whatcom County Sheriff's Office was the arresting agency for the most recent two suspects. The sheriff's office handles law enforcement in unincorporated areas of the county, including Birch Bay, which does not have its own municipal police department and relies entirely on county services for law enforcement coverage.
Background on the Case
The shooting drew significant attention partly because of its gang-related nature and partly because Birch Bay is a family-oriented summer destination. The area around Birch Bay Drive and the surrounding neighborhood sees heavy foot and vehicle traffic during the summer months, and a gunfight between rival motorcycle clubs in a public setting raised immediate concerns about public safety among residents and visitors alike. Birch Bay State Park and the commercial strip along the waterfront attract families, campers, and day visitors throughout the summer season, making the presence of armed gang conflict particularly alarming.
Motorcycle club rivalries that escalate to violence are a documented law enforcement challenge in communities across the Pacific Northwest. Disputes over territorial claims, insignia, and club hierarchy can lead to confrontations like the one that occurred at Birch Bay on Labor Day Weekend. Law enforcement agencies typically treat such incidents seriously given the potential for ongoing retaliatory conflict between parties if cases are not resolved quickly through arrest and prosecution.
With all four suspects now in custody, the immediate risk of further retaliatory violence between the parties involved is reduced. Investigators and prosecutors will continue building their cases through the court process, which will involve arraignments, bail hearings, preliminary appearances, and potentially pretrial motions in Whatcom County Superior Court. The cases may proceed on different timelines depending on each defendant's legal representation and whether any of the parties pursue plea negotiations rather than taking their cases to trial. Court records in Whatcom County are accessible through the Washington Courts online portal at courts.wa.gov.
Residents with information about the incident or related criminal activity in the Birch Bay area can contact the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office tip line. The sheriff's office has been active in seeking community input on multiple ongoing investigations this fall, including a renewed plea for tips in a 2018 disappearance case involving a Custer man. For additional context on law enforcement activity across Whatcom County in recent weeks, earlier reporting on major local criminal cases illustrates the range of public safety work being carried out by county and regional agencies.
