Curtice Gordon, 22, was fatally shot on June 3, 2025, at Kraftwerk K9, a German Shepherd breeding and training facility in Rochester, Washington, where he worked. Deputies were called about 10:28 a.m. for an unconscious man with a gunshot wound; medical personnel pronounced Gordon dead at 10:37 a.m. from a gunshot to his face near his nose.

The shooting happened during a promotional video meant to demonstrate the discipline of trained dogs. Facility owner Wayne George Curry, 64, was firing a rifle with live ammunition at a target while Gordon, wearing a bite sleeve and agitating a dog with a whip, stood about 30 feet to the side. Investigators say a dog reacted to the gunfire, Curry jerked the rifle and a round discharged, striking Gordon.

Curry was arrested the same day and charged with first-degree manslaughter; court documents say he told investigators he did not intend to harm Gordon and appeared distraught at the scene. The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office is continuing its investigation. Did anyone who knew Curtice or worked at Kraftwerk K9 see the filming that morning or have information to share?