Blake Kuhlman, 27, an Amazon delivery driver in Washington state, allegedly blasted a USPS letter carrier in the face with a pistol after the postal worker got mad at him for taking up space in a mailroom, according to federal prosecutors.
Kuhlman “smirked” at the letter carrier before pulling out a .22 Magnum revolver and opening fire during an alleged scuffle, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.
“He f—ing shot me in the face,” the USPS worker told investigators. “After he did that, he stood over the top of me for, like, five seconds and just stared at me.”
Local authorities originally arrested and charged Kuhlman after the October 2025 shooting, but they later dismissed the case locally before federal prosecutors filed it in federal court last week. He now faces charges of attempted murder of a federal employee, assault of a federal employee, and using a firearm during a crime of violence.
Prosecutors say the shooting occurred in a “small mailroom” at the West Mall Place Apartments in Everett.
“When both sides are opened, it only leaves a narrow passage through the hall,” the complaint explains. “To mitigate crowding, the apartment complex allowed victim to put up a sign for people to go around to another door while USPS was delivering mail. Victim reported that he directed Kuhlman to read the sign right before Kuhlman pushed him. Victim then pushed Kuhlman in return.”
Police interviewed the mail carrier in the hospital afterward, where he had gone after losing his eye in the shooting, and he told them the following:
I got, got to the apartment to do my normal delivery like I always do. I had both sides of CBs open, which I had been doing for over six years now. I heard an Amazon driver pull up, and I normally wait for them to try to walk through. It’s posted in clear sight that there’s no trespassing while I’m in the process of delivering. He propped the door open, and I had said to him that I thought it was loud enough for him to hear, I said, you are not allowed to pass through here while I’m delivering. And he smirked, grabbed the rest of his packages, and he just walked right through me. He pushed me back, like, four feet. Naturally, I defended myself. I said, what are you doing, man. I pushed him back. I said, get your hands off of me.
The postal worker told investigators that he had worked the same delivery route for six years and had experienced “many interactions” with Amazon delivery drivers prior to the shooting without any issues. He explained that the drivers would normally ask how much more time he needed to finish, then wait or go around to another door.
The worker said he had never seen Kuhlman before and was not aware of any prior interactions that would have contributed to Kuhlman’s “aggressive behavior,” according to the complaint.
After the shooting, Kuhlman remained on the scene, and the Everett Police Department arrested him. Officers searched Kuhlman and seized his cellphone, wallet, keys, sunglasses, earbuds, and a .22 Magnum revolver loaded with a “snake shot,” a specialized type of ammunition that contains a small payload of lead pellets encased in a plastic capsule that shatters upon being fired.
In addition to the gun, Kuhlman wore “body armor” under his Amazon uniform shirt and also carried a 9 mm Glock 19 pistol with three 27-round capacity magazines and a fixed-blade knife approximately 5 inches in length, according to federal prosecutors.
“Kuhlman admitted to shooting victim in the face and claimed he felt threatened and acted in self-defense, asserting that the victim pushed him first,” the complaint says. “When asked about his experience with firearms, Kuhlman explained at one point he wanted to be a bail enforcement officer and attended firearms courses at the Washington State Criminal Justice Center. Kuhlman disclosed having grown up around firearms and was very familiar with how they function.”
Kuhlman said he liked to carry the .22 Magnum “because it was small and can be deployed quickly in self-defense situations.” He chose the “snake shot” rounds because he did not have to be very accurate and “it would stop an aggressor from attacking,” per the complaint.
“Kuhlman made statements that the ‘mail guy’ … was part of a ‘mafia’ and might have been on some kind of drug that prevented him from feeling pain,” according to federal prosecutors. “Kuhlman further discussed his belief the Federal Bureau of Investigation was targeting him and reported having sent multiple complaints to the FBI … only to have the FBI instruct him to stop filing complaints.”
Kuhlman is due to appear in court for a preliminary examination on July 21.
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