Background: The home in Tacoma, Washington, where the fire broke out (KING/YouTube). Inset: Andrew Cole Keen appearing in court (KING/YouTube).
A man from the Seattle area is facing serious allegations after reportedly attacking his housemates with a knife and setting a fire intended to trap those living on the upper floor of a sober living home.
Andrew Cole Keen, 29, has been formally charged with three counts of second-degree attempted murder and one count of first-degree arson, as reported by local ABC affiliate KOMO. Keen, who has entered a plea of not guilty, is currently held on a $1 million bail, according to Seattle’s NBC affiliate KING.
The incident occurred just before dawn on Tuesday in a residence located on the 4000 block of South 34th Street in Tacoma, Washington. This residence is registered as a sober living facility, where several individuals were residing at the time.
Keen had moved into the home only three days prior to the incident. During this brief period, his mental health reportedly declined due to discontinuing a medication. According to court filings, Keen accused one of the residents of stealing something “intangible” from him, such as his “emotions or thoughts.”
Around 4 a.m. on Tuesday, a housemate was awakened by loud shouting, as noted in court documents. The housemate quickly realized that a resident was on the phone with 911, claiming he had been stabbed and the house was on fire. Rushing downstairs, the witness saw flames engulfing the living room, from floor to ceiling around the bunk beds.
According to the court records, it was immediately apparent to the residents that Keen was involved, a suspicion that was soon confirmed by all the housemates. One of the residents managed to escape through an upstairs window, while the person who had called 911 was found “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.
