Man convicted in drive-by shooting

By Tara Nelson

A Whatcom County resident arrested for his alleged involvement in a drive-by shooting in Blaine last July was sentenced to six months in Whatcom County jail.

Austin Christian Markusen, 31, pleaded guilty to one charge of assault in the second degree – a class B felony – in October.

Whatcom County court records indicate that on July 21, Markusen discharged a firearm toward a vehicle traveling northbound on Kickerville Road near Loomis Trail Road driven by Damian Johnson.
Johnson told officers three or four shots were fired at his vehicle after he followed a Nissan Pathfinder that he thought was being driven by his friend. Johnson said when he realized it was not his friend, he made a u-turn and headed toward his home but he noticed the Pathfinder was following him as he drove away. Johnson reported that a female in the front passenger seat had her arm sticking out the window, pointing back at him holding a handgun and firing several shots, according to Whatcom County court records.

Whatcom County Sheriff deputies later located the Pathfinder outside a residence in the 4600 block of California Trail Road and arrested Markusen, along with Daniel Cunningham who was a passenger in the vehicle. A third individual – Jered Fullen, 25, – refused to cooperate with Whatcom County sheriff’s deputies and was gassed out of the residence by the Whatcom County special response team, sheriff Bill Elfo said. Inside the house, police found a pipe that tested positive for presumptive presence of methamphetamine, a flare gun and a .38 caliber handgun.

Johnson was able to identify Markusen as the driver and Cunningham as a passenger in the vehicle but was not able to identify the female.
Fullen was later admitted to drug court, upon the completion of which his charges will be dismissed. Whatcom County deputy prosecuting attorney Rosemary Kaholokula said there was not enough evidence to convict Cunningham.