A Tacoma teenager accused of firing the shot that killed 18-year-old Messiah Washington inside an apartment elevator is now being prosecuted as an adult, according to court records. The move shifts the case into Pierce County Superior Court and significantly raises the stakes for the young suspect.
Prosecutors Move Case Into Adult Court
Kaleb Prince Tramble, who was 15 at the time of the Feb. 22, 2025, shooting and later listed as 16 in court records, pleaded not guilty on Feb. 2 and is now charged in superior court with first- and second-degree murder and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, according to The News Tribune. Judge Jennifer Andrews ordered Tramble held at Remann Hall on $1,000,000 bail as the case moves forward.
Video Shows Ambush Inside Elevator
Probable-cause documents and building surveillance footage, prosecutors say, show Washington trapped in the elevator when another teen pulled a gun and shot him multiple times. "Tramble allegedly shot him once more," the documents state, according to The News Tribune.
Prosecutors Allege Robbery Motive
Charging papers say the group had knocked on Washington’s door just minutes before the shooting. Detectives believe the teens may have been trying to rob Washington’s father or an associate who had posted stolen guns online, a theory outlined in court filings and reporting by the Spokesman-Review. Investigators recovered a revolver at the scene that belonged to Washington but say it was not fired during the attack.
Multiple Suspects Arrested Over The Last Year
In the months after the killing, investigators arrested and charged several juveniles: a 15-year-old was booked in March and two 16-year-olds were taken into custody in April, local broadcasters reported. One arrest later overlapped with a separate Seattle case in which officers said shots were fired at a patrol car, a development that helped lead detectives to a suspect, according to reporting by FOX 13.
What Comes Next In Court
With juvenile jurisdiction declined, Tramble’s case will now proceed entirely in Pierce County Superior Court, where arraignments, motions and pretrial hearings will determine the schedule for a possible trial. If convicted of first-degree murder in Washington, a defendant faces a potential life sentence under state law, per the Revised Code of Washington.
