Newlywed Churchgoing Father of 2 Shot Dead on Way to See New Baby and Wife in Possible Road Rage Incident
A young father in Washington state who relatives say was focused on going to church, taking care of his family and living a crime free life was shot dead in his car Monday on his way to see his wife and newborn son at a local hospital.
Federal Way police told The Seattle Times they were not ruling out the possibility that the young father, Dennis Sloboda, 33, was a victim of road rage as he explained to one of his six brothers, Anton Sloboda, shortly before he was found dead. But the officer indicated there could be more to the story as well.
Police spokeswoman Cathy Schrock said they "think there is more information out there, and we are just waiting to get it."
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Anton Sloboda told police that his brother came to his family home in Brown's Point Monday night and immediately asked for a gun after revealing he had been in a minor traffic confrontation with another driver who pulled a gun at him.
He explained that his brother told the gunman, "You want to shoot me? Go ahead!"
The driver, he said, did not shoot his brother at that moment but followed him home.
"We went outside, and he pointed him out. I could see him. He was wearing a white shirt and light pants," Anton Sloboda said.
Instead of calling the police for help, Anton Sloboda said he calmed his brother down and told him to wait until the gunman left.
"We didn't call the police because we thought most people in road rage would be upset for 20 minutes and then cool down," he said. "When we went to a high spot and looked again, he was gone away, and it was clear and peaceful, and we stopped worrying."
Unfortunately for Dennis Sloboda, things weren't as cool as he thought and he was found dead about a 5-minute drive from his brother's house where shots were reportedly head around 10:30 p.m.
An earlier report in The Seattle Times said Dennis Sloboda left his brother's apartment at about 10 p.m.
It said he had also gotten married in March to his wife, Irina, and was working two jobs to provide for his family.
Anton Sloboda said he called Irina at the hospital at about 1 a.m. to check if his brother was with her and she told him that he never showed up.
"She looked at the (GPS) on his cellphone and saw that he looked like he was in the street," he explained. "I went down there, but the police would not let me get close. They said I had to go to talk to the detectives."
Anton Sloboda explained that his brother, who is the second of seven brothers who immigrated to the U.S. from Belarus in 1998, was shot in his head through the back of his car.
While admitting that his brother had a criminal past, including driving violations and convictions for drugs and possession of stolen property, he said he had been enjoying a happy, clean stretch.
"He was doing good and moving forward. He was a new man, a new father, and all he was doing was going to church and going to work," Anton Sloboda told The Seattle Times.
"We don't think it was something from the past. He was not looking for trouble," he added. "We think it was a crazy psycho who got real mad and upset. If not, maybe the police will give us answers."
Explaining further why they did not call the police after the gunman followed his brother to his apartment, Anton Sloboda said, "In our culture, we are a little like a tough people, a brave people. We hold things together and figure things out on our own. We call the police only if it gets really bad."
"My brother is a big, tough guy and thought he could handle it," he added.
Police are currently looking for video surveillance and witnesses who can provide independent evidence of what happened. In the meantime, members of the Sloboda family have been sharing their grief online.
"To the older brother I always dreamed of having ... words aren't enough to express the heartbreak our family is feeling. The strength and love you possessed were unlike any other and when I think of our times together I can just picture your contagious laugh. ... To say that you were respected and loved by all who met you doesn't give you enough credit," wrote Dennis Sloboda's sister-in-law, Taylor Sloboda, on a Go Fund Me page set up to to offset expenses and assist Sloboda's wife and two children.
"Our family will never be the same, you're the glue that always reminded us to stick together, and that it's a beautiful life. To imagine our future without you in it just doesn't seem fair but we're happy to know you're in a better place. Rest in peace, we love you," she added.
