Suspect, victims in fatal Tacoma, WA hospital shooting did not know each other: docs
Suspect in fatal Tacoma hospital shooting pleads not guilty
A 25-year-old man accused of shooting a couple inside a Tacoma hospital pleaded not guilty.
TACOMA, Wash. - The suspect in a deadly shooting inside a Tacoma hospital emergency room did not know the victims he opened fire on, court documents state.
The shooting, which left one man dead and a woman injured, happened on Wednesday, Aug. 6 at MultiCare Allenmore Hospital.
Martice Ryan, 25, is accused of the fatal shooting and was arrested in Kittitas County on Friday. He pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and first-degree assault on Monday.
The backstory:
The woman who survived the shooting said she and the other victim had driven to the Allenmore Hospital because the man was suffering from elbow pain.
According to court documents, Ryan approached the victims after they checked into the ER, asking the man why he was staring at him. The male victim stated he wasn't staring, and Ryan then asked if he knew him which the victim replied he did not.
Ryan then allegedly stated, "It's about to get switchy in here," eluding to the fact he had a "switch," which is a small plastic device used for illegal firearm modification, capable of converting a semi-automatic handgun into a fully automatic handgun.
The suspect then pulled out a handgun and opened fire on the victims in the ER waiting room, police said. The man died after being shot multiple times, and the surviving victim suffered a graze wound to the stomach.
The woman injured in the shooting stated there was no prior interaction between Ryan and the other victim, nor were they followed to the hospital.
After the shooting, the suspect fled to his car and drove away eastbound on South 19th Street. Video footage showed the suspect escape in a red 2014-2016 Mazda CX-5 with no front or rear license plates, according to court documents.
However, detectives noted the plates instead had placards/advertisements for a local car dealer, which they then used to track recent sales of red Mazda CX-5s. Ryan had allegedly purchased a red Mazda CX-5 in Tacoma in March 2025.
Officers identified Ryan as a suspect through a previous traffic stop he was involved in for driving without license plates. During the stop, bodycam footage showed Ryan retrieve a temporary paper license from the passenger side of his dashboard, which appeared to be on the shooting suspect's car, court documents state.
Police also said Ryan's Department of Licensing photograph appeared to match the suspect from the Allenmore surveillance video. Detectives stated Ryan has six guns registered to him, including two 10mm handguns, which is the caliber of the shell casings recovered at the scene.
A warrant was issued for Ryan's arrest after his car was not located at his last known address. He was arrested two days later with help from the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Spokane Police Department.
Tacoma hospital shooting suspect arrested in Kittitas County, WA
A 25-year-old man is behind bars following a deadly shooting at a hospital in Tacoma that rocked the neighborhood.
Ryan is charged with first-degree murder and first-degree assault in the hospital shooting. He is currently being held without bail.
The Source: Information in this story came from court documents filed in Pierce County Superior Court and the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.
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