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BREMERTON, Wash. (AP) — Detectives have interviewed a 22-year-old man who survived a weekend shooting that left a woman and her roommate's toddler dead at a Washington mobile home park, a sheriff's officer said Monday.
The man, described as a neighbor of the victims, is recovering at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, said Kitsap County sheriff's Sgt. Ken Dickinson.
Dickinson said the wounded neighbor provided no additional information on a suspect. The woman whose toddler was killed told officers she didn't know the shooter, The Kitsap Sun reported. She was unhurt.
Victim Heather Kelso, 29, had recently been granted a protection order against the father of her 4-month-old daughter, the newspaper reported. She contended he was violent. The baby was not at the home when the shots were fired early Saturday.
There have been no arrests, and sheriff's officers have not released information about a suspect or motive, but Dickinson said they were aware that Kelso had gotten the protection order.
"We have not eliminated anybody from being a suspect," he said. "But we can't comment on anyone's name."
"We feel pretty confident this was not a random incident," the sergeant said.
Kelso and her roommate's 2-year-old son, Kaden Lum, were fatally shot in their home at a mobile home park in Bremerton, across Puget Sound from Seattle.
The toddler's mother, Jalisa Lum, tried to protect the boy, but he died at a hospital, officers said. The mother and son had moved into the home with Kelso three weeks ago, police said.
"All I knew was to grab the baby and hide him underneath me. And we dove to the floor," Lum told KOMO-TV of Seattle on Monday. "I just wish that I was able to protect him better. He's the light of my life."
"I'm woken up out of a dead sleep. I heard gunshots everywhere," she added. "I felt blood on my face, but I thought it was something of mine because I thought he was protected enough."
Kelso worked at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and had lived at the residence for three years.
The 22-year-old neighbor had been visiting Kelso's home and was shot in the abdomen as he ran back to his nearby residence. His roommate was among those who called 911.
Two other homes were hit with bullets, but no one else was hurt, police said.
Gretchen Stanton, a friend and co-worker of Kelso's for years, said Kelso had a big heart and was always ready to help others.
"She had charm. She was sweet — a little bit of spunk and very open-minded," Stanton told the Kitsap Sun. "She always worked hard. She really put her heart into everything she did and was very determined to make people happy."
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