U.S. Marshals arrested 21-year-old Barkai “Kai” Ben Isreal Brinson in Waco, Texas, after he spent nearly nine months on the run in connection with a fatal New Year's Day shooting in Tacoma. Investigators say Brinson and 25-year-old Aiden Terrel Finley jumped 25-year-old Geno Saunders III outside a house party, shooting him at close range before fleeing. Finley remains at large, and Tacoma police are asking the public for help finding him.
According to FOX 13 Seattle, Tacoma Police Department officers were sent to a home in the 3500 block of East Grandview Avenue on January 1, 2026, after a reported shooting. Saunders was found outside the house with a gunshot wound and died at the scene. Per authorities, Saunders did not know either Brinson or Finley before the attack. That New Year's Day killing marked Tacoma's first recorded homicide of 2026, according to KING 5, with police documenting bullet holes near the front door of the home where the party took place.
A Family's Grief and a Community's Support
Saunders' mother, Cassie Mann, has spoken publicly about her son in the months since his death. She said Geno loved music and made tracks for YouTube, hoping to break into the music industry, and described him as a bright spark who touched so many lives, per the same report. Saunders' family raised funds through community donations to cover his funeral costs, laying him to rest on February 4, 2026, as reported by FOX 13 Seattle.
Both suspects had ties to Tacoma before the shooting. Finley played varsity basketball as a point guard for Foss High School in Tacoma, graduating with the class of 2023, according to his MaxPreps profile. Brinson, meanwhile, released hip-hop music on streaming platforms under the artist name Kai From Tac, per his listing on Apple Music.
Manhunt Involved Regional Task Force
The South Sound Gang Task Force assisted local law enforcement in seeking tips and tracking Brinson and Finley during their months on the run, according to the FOX 13 Seattle report. Brinson's arrest by U.S. Marshals in Waco came after nearly nine months evading capture. Finley is wanted for murder and remains at large, and Tacoma police have asked the public to help locate him.
Anyone with information can call 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit an anonymous tip online through Tacoma Crime Stoppers, or use the P3 Tips app. Crime Stoppers of Tacoma-Pierce County offers cash rewards of up to $1,000 for anonymous tips that lead to an arrest and charges filed. Under Revised Code of Washington 9A.32, murder is classified as a Class A felony punishable by up to life imprisonment upon conviction.
Part of a Mixed Year for Tacoma Violence
Tacoma recorded 26 homicide deaths in 2025, up from 22 in 2024, according to KING 5's reporting. Yet data released by the City of Tacoma in July 2026 showed citywide violent crimes — including homicides, aggravated assaults, and robberies — declining through the first half of 2026 compared with the prior year. Even so, fatal shootings have continued to surface in individual neighborhoods; in July, a separate fatal shooting on East 28th Street ended with an adult male suspect surrendering to detectives and being booked on second-degree murder charges.
It remains unclear where Finley is currently believed to be hiding, and authorities have not disclosed a specific motive for the unprovoked attack outside the house party. The timeline for Brinson's extradition from Texas back to Pierce County to face charges has also not been announced.
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