Bail set at $500K for man charged in deadly Puyallup, WA shooting
Suspect in deadly Puyallup shooting has bail set at $500k
The suspect accused of shooting and killing a man inside a Puyallup apartment complex had his bail set at $500,000 after he turned himself in.
PUYALLUP, Wash. - The man accused of shooting and killing a 37-year-old near Puyallup over the weekend, faced a judge on Friday. His court appearance comes just three days after he turned himself in.
Wearing an orange jumpsuit, Moses Karovsky showed little emotion as he entered the courtroom. He’s charged with two counts of second-degree murder.
Moses Karovsky appears in Pierce County court on April 17, 2026. (FOX 13 Seattle)
The backstory:
On April 12, shortly after 4 a.m., a 37-year-old, who friends and family identified as Tyreik Patterson, picked up a friend and went to the home of a woman who he shares a child with, investigators said. When he arrived, court documents revealed a fight broke out between Patterson and Karovsky, who was at the home.
"This is just a horrific incident for all involved," said Carly Cappetto, public information officer with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office.
According to court records, the friend reported that they heard someone running upstairs and that someone had locked themselves in the bathroom.
"As the victim was pushing on the door, R.B. could see inside the bathroom and saw a white guy holding a gray in color semi auto pistol with an extended clip. R.B. then heard shots. The door opened and the guy ran past him. R.B. then tried to help the victim," court documents stated.
Patterson later died.
Pierce County deputies at the scene of a shooting at an apartment complex along Canyon Road East on April 12, 2026. (FOX 13 Seattle)
What they're saying:
"The state is concerned here that the defendant is alleged to have fled the scene, driving past multiple patrol cars, the evidence suggests he collected the expended shell casings, and the state suggests so that he wouldn’t be identified," prosecutors said in court.
The defense, however, said this case has a substantial self-defense claim.
"Mr. Karovsky voluntarily walked into a Seattle police precinct on April 14 and turned himself in, he did not flee the state, he did not destroy evidence, and he did not go into hiding," Karovsky’s attorney said. "He left the chaotic and traumatic scene because he had just survived a violent home invasion."
Bodycam video of Moses Karovsky turning himself in to the Pierce County Sheriff's Office. (Pierce County Sheriff's Office)
Outside of court, Cappetto called this a messy conflict that happened between two men.
"Domestic violence is one of our largest types of calls, this isn’t uncommon unfortunately, emotions get very high in these types of situations and it’s difficult when children are involved," Cappetto said.
While the state requested $1 million bail, the judge set bail at $500,000 instead.
"I think danger to the community is paramount here, the potential for danger to the community that was implicated by what was stated in the probable cause statement," the judge said.
One additional concern from the state is that the gun used in the shooting has still not been found.
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The Source: Information in this story came from the Pierce County Sheriff's Office, court documents filed in Pierce County Superior Court, and previous FOX 13 Seattle reporting.