David E. Crable had guns. Lots of guns.

When he was arrested May 28 at his Spanaway home after his brother
accused him of assault, investigators found a cache of rifles and
handguns. The weapons were listed in a court document filed after the
arrest: Two 30.06 rifles, a .223 Bushmaster rifle, an AK47 remake, a
sniper rifle, a .357 revolver, and a Glock 27, among others.

Now, three days after Crable was killed after shooting two Pierce
County sheriff's deputies, the FBI and the federal Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are looking into the collection of
weapons to find out whether all were purchased legally, said sheriff's
spokesman Sgt. Ed Troyer. It wasn't immediately known whether any of
the weapons found at the home in May were used to shoot the deputies.

"We want to understand where they came from, Troyer said Wednesday.
"Were they stolen, and were they sold to him illegally?"

Sheriff's Sgt. Nick Hausner and Deputy Kent Mundell were summoned to
an Eatonville-area home by Crable's brother, Jason, who reported his
brother was "drunk and belligerent" and an unwanted guest. According
to Troyer, Hausner and Mundell persuaded the intoxicated David Crable
to leave the home.

Crable had agreed to leave the home with the deputies, with the
promise that he wouldn't be arrested or detained, Troyer said. But he
pulled out a handgun hidden in a shirt that was tucked under his arm
and opened fire at almost point-blank range.

Mundell, Troyer said, was shot several times but managed to return
fire. He then was shot multiple times again before Crable collapsed,
Troyer said. It's unclear whether Hausner fired any shots.

On Wednesday, Troyer said detectives had spoken to Hausner and he
reaffirmed the details. A crime scene re-creation also has reaffirmed
the scenario, Troyer added.

Hausner, 43, who has been with the Sheriff's Department for 20 years,
was listed in stable condition Wednesday at Madigan Army Medical
Center at Fort Lewis.

Troyer said there is still hope that Hausner will be able to return
home by Christmas Day.

Mundell, a deputy for nearly 10 years, is listed in critical condition
in the intensive-care unit of Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

In the May incident, deputies were summoned to the Spanaway home David
Crable shared with his mother after his brother said he had been
threatened.

The deputies also later learned that Crable also had allegedly
assaulted his then-15-year-old daughter. She said Crable brandished a
knife at her, slapped her on the back of the head several times, and
shoved her into a corner. The girl also said her father "grabbed the
back of her head and shoved her face up against the wall," according
to a report of the incident. She had a cut on her chin from the
altercation.

Crable's brother, whose given name is Edward but who goes by Jason,
told the officers that Crable grabbed him by the throat and pushed him
out of the house. When Jason Crable got in his car, his brother came
out with a knife and slashed all the tires, the report states.

When deputies asked to talk to David Crable, he wouldn't come out of
the house, according to the report. After numerous attempts, Crable
relented and agreed to speak with the deputies, who asked him whether
he had any weapons. He responded "he had enough weapons to have taken
us out at anytime," the report states.

A deputy in the sheriff's Domestic Violence Unit told the responding
officers to leave the weapons in the house, according to a report of
the incident.

Crable was charged with assault and malicious mischief. When he was
released on bail, the judge ordered that he not possess any weapons.

He ultimately pleaded guilty to malicious mischief and weapons charges
in connection with the knife. A Superior Court judge sentenced Grable
to one year in jail on each count but suspended 364 days on both
sentences. The judge also placed him on probation for two years,
ordered him to pay fines and restitution, attend parenting classes and
have "no hostile contact" with his brother, according to court
records.

But in the plea agreement, there was no indication that Crable was
barred from possessing firearms. Under state law, his conviction did
not preclude him from owning guns.

Troyer said while much of the investigation is now focused on the
firearms, the department's chief concern is the welfare of the two
wounded deputies.

"Our main concern right now is our deputy and our sergeant in the
hospital; secondary are the weapons," he said.