Crime
Man accused of fatally shooting Bellingham principal may have admitted it on Twitter
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Lynn Heimsoth murder
Sunnyland Elementary School Principal Lynn Heimsoth, her therapy dog Sukha and the family cat were shot to death Dec. 26, 2019, at her home west of Bellingham. Kevin Heimsoth, her husband who reportedly attempted to kill himself after her death, has been charged with murder and animal cruelty.
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Family and friends of the former Sunnyland Elementary School principal, Lynn Heimsoth, who was fatally shot in her home, have started a scholarship in her honor.
A Gofundme account has been started in honor of Lynn Heimsoth, the former Sunnyland Elementary principal who was found fatally shot in her home along with her therapy dog, Sukha, Dec. 26.
Sunnyland Elementary students returned to classes on Monday for the first time since learning that their principal, Lynn Heimsoth, and her therapy dog, Suhka, were found fatally shot in her home on Dec. 26.
Bellingham Public Schools said it will try to make the transition back to school as normal as possible for Sunnyland Elementary School students after Principal Lynn Heimsoth was fatally shot over winter break.
The Whatcom County Prosecutor’s Office filed formal charges Friday against Kevin Heimsoth who is accused of fatally shooting his wife, who was the principal at Sunnyland Elementary School, and their two pets Dec. 26.
The family of Sunnyland Elementary principal Lynn Heimsoth, who was fatally shot last week, is asking for stories, memories and photographs. A celebration of life service has been scheduled for Saturday.
Bellingham Public Schools Superintendent Greg Baker set out plans for how the district will move forward after Sunnyland Elementary principal Lynn Heimsoth and her therapy dog were fatally shot last week.
The Twitter account that may have been associated with the Bellingham man accused of fatally shooting his wife, who was a Bellingham elementary school principal, and their two pets Dec. 26 has been suspended.
The Bellingham man suspected of fatally shooting his wife, who was the principal at Sunnyland Elementary, and her therapy dog Sukha Thursday morning, remains in the ICU at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
More than 200 children and adults gathered Friday on the Sunnyland Elementary playground for a candlelight vigil for Principal Lynn Heimsoth and her therapy dog, Sukha, after they were both fatally shot.
Kevin Heimsoth, accused of fatally shooting his wife, a Bellingham elementary school principal, may have admitted to killing his family in Twitter replies to the National Rifle Association and President Trump.
The man who allegedly shot and killed his wife, Sunnyland principal Lynn Heimsoth, in their home west of Bellingham Thursday has been identified by the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office as Kevin Heimsoth.
Lynn Heimsoth, who was shot to death, was the principal at Sunnyland Elementary School. Heimsoth and Sukha, her trained therapy dog, would greet students on school days. Sukha also was shot to death.
Bellingham Public Schools Superintendent Greg Baker posted this message to families Thursday, Dec. 26, about the death of Sunnyland Principal Lynn Heimsoth, who was allegedly shot by her husband.
Sunnyland Elementary School principal Lynn Heimsoth was shot to death in her Chartwell Estates home in the 900 block of Marine Drive Thursday morning. Her husband was identified as the shooter.
A woman was shot and killed Thursday morning at the Chartwell Estates on the 900 block of Marine Drive, west of Bellingham, and her alleged shooter was in custody, Whatcom County Sheriff Bill Elfo said.
The Bellingham man accused of fatally shooting his wife, who was a Bellingham elementary school principal, and their two pets Thursday morning may have admitted to killing his family in Twitter replies to the National Rifle Association, the President of the United States and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Kevin Heimsoth, 56, was identified as the suspected shooter by the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office. He was in critical condition with a self-inflicted gunshot wound Friday, Dec. 27, at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle and is under guard by law enforcement.
Bellingham Sunnyland Elementary School Principal Lynn Heimsoth died at the scene. She was 58.
Lynn Heimsoth’s cause of death was declared a handgun gunshot wound to the head and was officially ruled a homicide by the Whatcom County Medical Examiner. Her time of death was declared around 10:30 a.m. Dec. 26, but initial law enforcement investigation suggests shots may have been heard around 2:45 a.m. that morning, said Whatcom County Medical Examiner Dr. Gary Goldfogel.
While the Twitter account belonging to Kevin Heimsoth could not be verified by The Bellingham Herald or others at McClatchy, a number of aspects point to it belonging to Kevin Heimsoth: The account is associated with email accounts and phone numbers that belong to him; the account associated with Lynn Heimsoth followed this account; she retweeted the account at least once.
The Twitter account that may have belonged to Kevin Heimsoth sent a series of four reply tweets shortly after 3 a.m. on Dec. 26 stating that the user shot and killed their wife and their dog.
In a reply to the NRA’s Merry Christmas tweet — which had 175 comments and 1,400 likes as of Friday afternoon — the account possibly belonging to Kevin Heimsoth tweeted that “Guns don’t kill people, people do.”
The tweet then goes on to say that AR-15s make it easier, and that the user “jsit (sic) killed my whole family, and i couldnt have done it without a gun!”
The user then calls himself a coward, said he couldn’t have used a knife and then thanks the NRA. In a separate tweet replying to the NRA, the user thanked McConnell for making it possible and then requested a welfare check at the couples’ specific condominium in the 900 block of Marine Drive. The user also addressed shooting his wife’s therapy dog.
The Herald has asked the NRA for comment.
Whatcom County Sheriff Bill Elfo declined to comment on the Twitter account Friday because the investigation is ongoing. He urged people who have other information or comments that may be pertinent to the investigation to call the sheriff’s office.
The rest of the KevinH Twitter account, which has been active since January 2014, is mostly political commentary replying to President Donald Trump’s personal Twitter account.
“This horrendous crime impacted many in our community,” Elfo told The Bellingham Herald. “While our investigation has not yet revealed any facts that would indicate a propensity for domestic violence prior to the murder, anyone with information that might be helpful to our investigation and review of this incident is requested to contact the Sheriff’s Office. As this case illustrates, the dynamics of domestic violence can escalate and lead to extreme violence.”
Lynn Heimsoth was the principal at Sunnyland Elementary since July 2017. She previously served as the principal at Shoultes Elementary in Marysville for four years. She also worked for Bremerton, North Kitsap and South Kitsap school districts as an elementary teacher and instructional leader, a Thursday evening statement by Bellingham Public Schools Superintendent Greg Baker said.
“We are heartbroken by this news. Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office deputies are actively investigating the incident,” Baker’s statement said. “Her death is a profound loss to our Sunnyland community, our school district and to our extended community. Lynn was a passionate, equity-driven instructional leader. She loved kids to the core and always kept students’ needs at the center of her work.”
The crime
Elfo said Whatcom County Sheriff’s deputies were called to the Chartwell Estates condominium in the 900 block of Marine Drive around 10:28 a.m. on Dec. 26 for the report of a murder-suicide.
When deputies arrived, they found Lynn Heimsoth dead from an apparent gunshot wound in her home, Elfo said. Her husband, Kevin Heimsoth, was also found inside the apartment alive, but with a self-inflicted gunshot wound and was taken to a local hospital, Elfo said.
Deputies also found Lynn Heimsoth’s therapy dog, Sukha, and a cat both dead from gunshot wounds. Sukha was always by Lynn Heimsoth’s side, Baker’s statement said.
No one else was injured in the shooting.
Members of the school district’s counseling and support team will be available for students at Sunnyland Elementary on Jan. 6 when the students return from winter break, Baker’s statement said. The district also provided resources for families to speak with their children about the tragedy, which help deal with death and grief.
Resources
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence or sexual assault, you can contact the following local resources for free, confidential support:
▪ Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Services: 24-hour Help Line: 360-715-1563, Email: info@dvsas.org.
▪ Lummi Victims of Crime: 360-312-2015.
▪ Bellingham Police: You can call anonymously at 360-778-8611, or go online at cob.org/tips.
▪ WWU Consultation and Sexual Assault Support Survivor Advocacy Services: 360-650-3700 or wp.wwu.edu/sexualviolence/.
▪ Brigid Collins Family Support Center: 360-734-4616, brigidcollins.org.