Four people killed in mass shooting in Tacoma’s Salishan neighborhood

UPDATE 7 p.m.: The active search for the suspect or suspects has ended but they remain at large.

UPDATE 6:45 p.m.: The injured fourth victim has died, police have confirmed.

Four people were shot dead in Tacoma’s Salishan neighborhood Thursday evening, Tacoma police said.

The incident was first reported at 4:24 p.m. The victims appeared to be adults, police said, but their identities were not immediately known.

The suspect was still at large at 7 p.m., police spokeswoman Wendy Haddow said. A SWAT team was reportedly called to the scene.

The shooting took place in an alley behind a residence, Haddow said. At least one victim was found in the street in front of the residence in the 4200 block of Everett Street.

One male victim was transported to a hospital but later died, police said. The other three died on the scene.

Police urged the public to stay away from the area or stay indoors.

By 7 p.m., the active search for the unknown suspect or suspects had ended. They remain at large.

The area around the residence where the shooting occurred was still cordoned off with police tape at 7:50 p.m. Residents watched as investigators went back and forth to the crime scene.

One resident who lives nearby said she heard gunshots and then saw a man running from the scene. Jessie, 32, requested only her first name be used because police have not yet found a suspect.

After hearing the shots, Jessie went to her porch and watched a man run behind nearby houses. He then approached a stop sign where he entered a waiting black car which then drove away.

“I was working from home and it was so loud that my person on the phone was like, ‘Is everything okay?’,” Jessie said.

Another resident, Sandy, 56, said she was in her home when she heard six to seven gunshots. She said she immediately threw herself and her kids to the floor.

Thursday’s killings make the 24th, 25th, 26th and 27th homicides of the year for Tacoma.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

This story was originally published October 21, 2021 at 5:11 PM with the headline "Four people killed in mass shooting in Tacoma’s Salishan neighborhood."

Craig Sailor

The News Tribune

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Craig Sailor has worked for The News Tribune since 1998 as a writer, editor and photographer. He previously worked at The Olympian and at other newspapers in Nevada and California. He has a degree in journalism from San Jose State University.

Peter Talbot

The News Tribune

Peter Talbot is a criminal justice reporter for The News Tribune. He started with the newspaper in 2021. Before that, he earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism at Indiana University. In college, he worked as an intern at NPR in Washington, D.C. He also interned for the Oregonian and the Tampa Bay Times. Support my work with a digital subscription