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Background: The home in Tacoma, Washington, where the fire broke out (KING/YouTube). Inset: Andrew Cole Keen appearing in court (KING/YouTube).
A disturbing incident unfolded in the greater Seattle area when a man allegedly attacked his housemates with a knife at a sober living residence, then set a fire intended to isolate those residing on the upper floors.
Andrew Cole Keen, aged 29, faces charges of three counts of second-degree attempted murder and one count of first-degree arson, as reported by local ABC station KOMO. Keen entered a plea of not guilty this week and is currently detained on a $1 million bail, according to NBC’s Seattle affiliate KING.
The incident took place just before dawn on Tuesday at a house located on the 4000 block of South 34th Street in Tacoma, Washington. The residence, recognized as a sober living facility, was home to several individuals at the time.
Keen had only been living there for three days when his mental health reportedly declined due to discontinuing his medication. Court records reveal that Keen accused another resident of stealing something intangible, like his emotions or thoughts.
Around 4 a.m. on Tuesday, a resident was awakened by shouting, as stated in the court documents. This individual quickly realized that someone was on the phone with 911, claiming they had been stabbed and that the house was on fire. Rushing downstairs, the witness was met with flames reaching from floor to ceiling in the living room area.
The resident cited in the court records “immediately knew this was involving Andrew and was quickly confirmed by all the other residents.” Another one of the housemates “had escaped through the upstairs window,” and the one who had called 911 “was fully on fire.”
Authorities said Keen’s father — calling from outside Washington state — reported getting text and social media messages from his son stating he was “going to jail tonight because he was going to kill some people.”
Investigators believe Keen lit multiple mattresses and a pile of clothes on fire at the bottom of the stairs of the home in a way that appeared “to contribute in trapping the upstairs residents.”
KING spoke with one of the victims of the fire — though it is unclear if it is the same one listed in the court documents — who said “one guy came out [of] the house on fire. He was blazed up, blazed up bad.”
When law enforcement arrived at the residence and then found Keen at a nearby 7-Eleven, he reportedly had matches and a lighter on him, as well as a cut on his hand. When officers asked him how the fire started, he allegedly smiled. He was arrested.
Three men were brought to the hospital, and one of them had severe injuries and was listed in critical condition, authorities said.