Officers respond to a man with a weapon call in the 900 block of 20th Street, shortly after which there were multiple shots fired. The man, identified as Rigoberto Galvan, 22, from Burlington, fired several shots, killing a 22-year-old woman known to him inside an apartment.

On 8-14-19 at 12:20am, officers were sent to a man with a gun in an apartment in the 900 block of 20th Street. Rigoberto Galvan was seen inside an apartment holding a gun, shortly after which several shots were heard being fired. As officers were arriving in the area, Galvan called 9-1-1 to indicate he was the one who fired the shots and where to find him.

Western Washington University (WWU) Police Department officers were in the area and located Galvan exactly where he said he would be and took him into custody without incident. Simultaneously, Bellingham Police Department (BPD) officers arrived at the apartment and located a woman critically injured by several gun shots. Despite the officers’ immediate life-saving efforts, the woman succumbed to her injuries and died at the scene.

Galvan was arrested for 1st Degree Murder and booked into the Whatcom County Jail. BPD Investigations Division and a team of Crime Scene Investigators are continuing their investigation into this homicide. At this time the name and any further information regarding the victim in this case is being withheld pending proper next of kin notification.

Given the proximity to WWU campus, BPD is staying in communication with WWU PD and WWU Administration providing relevant information regarding this case. WWU will contact students and faculty to provide further information on available services.