A 19-year-old man and his 38-year-old stepfather were arrested Sunday afternoon after an apparent argument concerning housecleaning escalated into a physical confrontation, threats with a weapon and the firing of a shotgun.

Mountlake Terrace police arrested and charged the 19-year-old with two accounts of Assault 2 – Domestic Violence for allegedly threatening to shoot his mother and stepfather. The 38-year-old man was arrested and charged with Assault 4 – Domestic Violence for allegedly attacking his stepson and striking him in the head.

According to the police report, an argument between the stepson and stepfather over shampooing the carpet occurred Sunday morning. Then hours later, when the stepson walked by, the stepfather “jumped on him and began hitting him in the face with his fists.” The stepson retreated upstairs to get his pump action shotgun, but when he returned the stepfather had left.

As the son was allegedly seeking out possessions of the stepfather to shoot, the mom intervened and attempted to take the shotgun away. “One round was discharged in the home,” said Mountlake Terrace Police Commander Doug Hansen. “According to the mother and son, it was ‘accidental’ while she struggled with the son in an attempt to keep him from damaging property.”

The stepson was booked into Snohomish County Jail on $20,000 for the two felony assault charges and an unrelated misdemeanor warrant. The stepfather’s assault 4 charge is a gross misdemeanor.

— By Doug Petrowski