Tacoma police have opened a homicide investigation following a fatal shooting early New Year’s Day in the city’s Eastside neighborhood. According to KOMO News, officers responded to reports of gunfire in the 3500 block of East Grandview Avenue around 3:39 a.m. on Thursday and found a man in his 20s with gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene despite life-saving efforts.
Residents in the area reported hearing noises they initially believed were fireworks around the time of the shooting. Joseph Dillon, who lives nearby, told KOMO News he heard the sounds before seeing a car speed past and people screaming. Surveillance video from a neighboring home reportedly captured audio consistent with three gunshots at about the same time.
The Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office has not yet released the victim’s identity. Family members said to KOMO News that the man had been visiting his girlfriend’s mother’s home when he was called outside, where the shooting occurred.
The investigation is ongoing, with Tacoma police classifying the case as a homicide and seeking information from the public. FOX 13 Seattle reports that detectives and crime scene technicians continue to process the scene. The Tacoma Police Department is asking anyone with information related to the shooting to call 911.
