Tacoma school employee shooting suspect found through Facebook friends list
SEATTLE - Investigators out of Tacoma were able to identify a suspect through Facebook that they say shot at a school security guard.
Back on July 18, 2024, a Tacoma Public Schools patrol officer reported to police that someone had pulled up near him, shot at his marked patrol car and fled the scene. According to a police report, the bullet hit the back of the car and a bullet was found in the parking lot.
Police got a break on Nov. 19, following an investigation spanning several months. DNA sampling in the stolen car used for the shooting linked them to an inmate in jail for unrelated felonies.
via Tacoma Police Department
This man, during interrogation on Nov. 22, told law enforcement about the events leading up to the shooting. This included use of drugs, a meeting to get more drugs, and getting in the car with a friend of his by the street name of "Shark" who he saw shoot at the guard.
When asked how police could find the shooter, the inmate told investigators that Shark was one of the only "white boys" on his Facebook friends list.
In searching the list, police found a man who matched the description seen on surveillance tape on the day of the shooting, at McDonald's using the car and bank cards stolen from an innocent resident a day after the shooting, and the inmate's description. This included the presence of a Toyota logo bicep tattoo.
MORE NEWS FROM FOX SEATTLE
Here’s how much Seattle’s minimum wage will rise in 2025
Armed carjacking pursuit near WA-Canadian border ends in Skagit County
How to use SEA Spot Saver, the line-skipping service at SeaTac Airport
Authorities urge vigilance after woman sexually assaulted at Point Defiance Park
Biden grants clemency to 1,500 people, including 3 from WA
To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.
Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national coverage, plus 24/7 livestreams from across the nation.