Burglary suspect identified after fatal Everett break-in

A homeowner shot the man Thursday morning. The slain man had served much of his adulthood in prison.

EVERETT — A Mountlake Terrace man has been identified as a suspected burglar shot to death by an Everett homeowner.

The resident awoke around 4:50 a.m. Thursday to sounds of someone in his home in the 1600 block of 126th Street SE.

He confronted the man, later identified as Brian Khlem, 33. The homeowner realized the stranger had broken into a room where guns were stored, Everett officer Aaron Snell said. He shot Khlem, who died at the scene, according to police.

The resident, in his 70s, called police to report what happened. Detectives said they found evidence that the intruder had been burglarizing the home. Everett police continued to investigate the circumstances Friday.

Khlem, who grew up near Seattle, spent much of his adulthood in prison. He was convicted of manslaughter in the first degree in a case in which he and a friend fired pistols through the window of a Burien home, killing Thaddeus Soth, 15, in August 2005. At the time, Khlem was 18.

Court records show he served a 14-year prison sentence.

The Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office released the name of the deceased man Friday afternoon, confirming Khlem died of a gunshot wound. It was classified as homicide, simply meaning he died at the hands of another person.

Caleb Hutton: 425-339-3454; chutton@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @snocaleb.

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