u/gumbykook

Wayne George Curry, owner of Kraftwerk K9 in Rochester, WA, is currently facing one count of first-degree manslaughter after the death of 23-year-old Curtice Gordon, a manager and dog trainer at the facility. Gordon was killed on June 3, 2025, while a promotional dog-training video was being filmed. According to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office account reported by local media, the filming involved gunfire, and a handler fired a weapon loaded with live ammunition, striking Gordon. Curry allegedly instructed Gordon to move closer to the targets he was aiming at before firing. Curry was booked into the Thurston County Jail that same day. ()

Later reporting identified Gordon as the victim and said Curry allegedly shot him in the face during the filming of the video advertisement. According to court-affidavit reporting, Curry denied intending to hurt Gordon and told detectives he was trying to demonstrate why someone should get a dog instead of a gun, and that the dog could be trained not to react to gunfire.

The case has also brought renewed attention to longstanding allegations about Kraftwerk K9’s treatment of dogs and employees. The Daily World / The Chronicle reported that roughly a dozen Glassdoor reviews from former employees between 2016 and 2024 raised concerns about Curry allegedly abusing dogs, mistreating staff, and creating unsafe working conditions. Previous employees state that among other things; Curry forced staff to put live puppies in the freezer in order to kill them, dragged and picked up dogs by their collars until they urinated on themselves out of fear, kicked male dogs in the testicles from behind, and physically and emotionally abused employees.

There is also a civil/legal history involving dogs sold through Kraftwerk K9. In a 2023 Washington Court of Appeals opinion, the court described a lawsuit by Florida breeder Donald Spear, who alleged that a dog purchased from Curry/Kraftwerk K9 had severe deformities in the spine, cervix, and vagina and ultimately had to be euthanized.

As for the current legal status: Curry has not been convicted in Gordon’s death. The public reporting I found says he faces one count of first-degree manslaughter, and a trial confirmation was set for February 26, 2026 in Thurston County Superior Court. Gordon, the victim, was standing ~30ft from the target that Curry was "aiming" at. Curry used live ammunition in a situation where blanks, or even an air pistol would have sufficed for the purposes of the video. What do you think, tragic accident caused by extreme negligence, or murder committed by a known animal abuser?