Tacoma dad injured after gunmen shoot up family SUV in Lakewood

Father shot in random act of violence; suspects sought

A father in Tacoma is recovering after three young suspects opened fire into his vehicle.

TACOMA, Wash. - A young father of three from Tacoma is still recovering after being shot in the face Saturday after he and his fiancé' stopped by a friend's house to see her baby.  The shooting happened in the 15100 block of Portland SW in the Lakewood area. 

Damarr Dabney said he's trying to heal, but it's going to be a long road to recovery. He said he doesn't know the shooters, but he said they looked like teenagers.

"I’m very thankful for my life," said Dabney. 

He said a group of teens or young adults shot up the SUV he was sitting in, leaving fragments of bullets lodged in his cheek, and his vehicle riddled with bullet holes. 

"I believe it entered here, and also here because you can see," Dabney said, pointing to the left side of his jaw. 

He winced as he took off his bandages, in order to talk to us Monday. 

"My tooth was shot out," said Dabney. "I’m thinking the fragment went in like that, and kept going. The fragment is lodged in my jaw area." 

Speaking is much more difficult now, and the dad of three is trying to hide the extent of his wounds from his young children.   

"Yes, it’s just very excruciating, but what scares me is my kids see it.  So, I try to stay with my bandages on," said Dabney   

His life changed forever on May 6, shortly after 10 p.m., when his fiancé Jessica went to visit a close friend and her new baby. Dabney decided to stay in the car for a bit. Five minutes later, he saw a group of young people approaching with guns drawn, and they opened fire. Dabney hit the floor.   

"The angle I was laying at, it was three shooters, and they were coming from this angle, and I’m in my car, and they started shooting," said Dabney.  "I just laid down, and as I laid down, the angle must have hit like that and got lodged in my jaw. It’s excruciating." 

They heard around 30 shots before it grew quiet.  Jessica ran outside and saw Dabney escaping out a vehicle window. 

"Terrified, I was freaking out," said Jessica. "I was throwing up my kids were supposed to be with us."

The couple was shocked at the young age of the shooters. 

"I know it had nothing to do with me," said Dabney. "I could have been taken away from my kids for something I had nothing to do with." 

Dabney and Jessica decided to shield their kids from the truth, telling them that he took a spill instead.  

"I don’t want them to see, like golly, ‘Dad, what happened?’, he said.  "I hate lying to my kids. But, I had to lie.  You don’t want to tell them about this right now, So yeah - ‘Daddy fell hard’." 

Jessica has started a GoFundMe online fundraiser for medical expenses and a newer vehicle as the family is now without transportation. Dabney has also lost his income temporarily as he was working two part-time jobs as security and with Instacart. 

He also hopes surgery can eventually restore what the shooters have taken from him and his kids.  

"I had a nice smile. I promise.  Now I’m going to have to go through therapy because of the nerve damage of the situation," he said. "As you can see, this is majorly swollen. I have to smile, like, my kids make me laugh.  Not even just physically wise but emotional wise I can’t even be the same dad I’m used to being." 

Jessica has said that she has a surgery consultation scheduled for Dabney Tuesday.