Charge: Central District bank shooter hit guard, self Witnesses say man booted from bank in the past

Officers work the scene after a security guard and another man were shot at a Bank of America branch on Thursday, July 24, 2014. The shooting occurred near the intersection of 23rd Ave South and South Jackson Street. (Lynsi Burton, seattlepi.com) less Officers work the scene after a security guard and another man were shot at a Bank of America branch on Thursday, July 24, 2014. The shooting occurred near the intersection of 23rd Ave South and South Jackson ... more Photo: LYNSI BURTON, SEATTLEPI.COM Photo: LYNSI BURTON, SEATTLEPI.COM Image 1 of / 8 Caption Close Charge: Central District bank shooter hit guard, self 1 / 8 Back to Gallery

A recently released ex-con shot a Seattle bank guard and himself during a fight Thursday, King County prosecutors now claim.

Charging documents from last week's Bank of America shooting the Central District say the defendant shot the guard several times with the guard's gun before shooting himself in the face.

Prosecutors say Arthur Thomas, 24, had been released from jail just two days before the shooting.

Having been convicted of and wanted for a handful of misdemeanor crimes in several counties, Thomas was reportedly trespassed from the bank by the guard in the past.

Both Thomas and the guard were sent to Harborview Medical Center in critical condition following Thursday's shooting.

As of Monday afternon, Thomas was in serious condition in the intensive care unit and the guard had been upgraded to satisfactory condition, hospital spokeswoman Susan Gregg said. King County prosecutors filed a first-degree assault charge against Thomas Friday.

The incident occurred about 11 a.m. Thursday at the Bank of America branch at 2301 South Jackson Street.

Officer responded to 911 calls of shots fired and found a uniformed armed security guard on the ground with a gunshot wound to his back and hand, as well as Thomas, down on the ground with a gunshot wound to his mouth, reports say. Police found a .38 revolver a few feet away from Thomas, according to the affidavit.

The guard, whose story was verified by witnesses, said Thomas took his firearm and shot him.

Witnesses working inside the building saw and heard Thomas get into an argument with the guard, then punch him on the ground, reports indicate.

One witness said he recognized Thomas as someone the guard had previously trespassed from the property.

Witnesses also reported seeing Thomas wrestle the guard's gun from his holster and hearing multiple shots fired. After a few moments - one witness reported seeing Thomas pace back and forth after the guard was shot - the witnesses heard one last shot, which detectives later determined led to Thomas' self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Reports did not indicate whether the self-inflicted shot was intentional.

Medics took both men to Harborview Medical Center for treatment of critical injuries.

Two days earlier, a Seattle Municipal Court judge sentenced Thomas to a year in jail, with all but the days he'd already served suspended, for a May incident that prompted a fourth-degree assault with sexual motivation charge. Thomas pleaded guilty.

Thomas was ordered not possess weapons and to undergo a mental health evaluation. He was also sentenced to two years of probation.

Thomas' previous convictions include resisting arrest in Lakewood, third-degree theft He also had pending charges for trespassing in Centralia, and in Thurston County District Court for theft, trespassing and disporderly conduct. He had warrants for his arrest for failing to appear in court on the latter two cases, according to prosecutors.

Lynsi Burton can be reached at lynsiburton@seattlepi.com. Follow her on Twitter at @LynsiBurton_PI.

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