The Washington State Patrol (WSP) is investigating after a woman was shot Wednesday night at an encampment along the off-ramp of eastbound State Route 512 to State Route 7 in Parkland.

The WSP responded to the scene just before 9:15 p.m. Wednesday. According to WSP Trooper John Dattilo, witnesses told investigators there was an argument between an unknown man in a white vehicle and a resident of the encampment. The witness said they heard four gunshots and saw the vehicle flee the scene.

"[He] approached that encampment and that female victim and was trying to sell drugs to her," WSP Trooper Robert Reyer shared. "However, they started an argument, he retreated; shortly thereafter they started another argument, he approached her again and then fired two to four shots at her."

The woman who was in a tent at the time of the shooting was shot in her hand. Dattilo said there were multiple people at the encampment at the time of the shooting, but no other injuries were reported.

"I was dumbfounded, just to hear of another shooting," Shari Cooley, who lives nearby, said, "To hear of a shooting over drugs right in our own backyard, it’s scary, it’s scary. I drive this at night all the time, I could’ve been coming home from work, it could’ve ricocheted, anything could happen."

The woman was taken to Tacoma General Hospital with minor injuries, according to Pierce County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Sgt. Darren Moss.

The sheriff’s department and the WSP responded to the scene, but Moss said the state patrol is handling the investigation because the shooting happened on state property.

WSDOT shared this in response to KOMO's questions about the removal of the encampment:

We do not have a date for when this encampment at State Route 512 and SR 7 will be cleaned up. WSDOT is working with state and local partners to transition people who are living on our right of way along state highways into safer shelter and housing options. Encampments along the right of way pose a clear safety risk to people living unsheltered, highway maintenance crews and the general traveling public. We are working with our state and local partners to ensure a compassionate, effective, sustainable response that focuses on helping people move to shelter and housing.