TACOMA, Wash. — A man was gunned down at an after-hours nightclub in Tacoma because he insulted someone, court records say.
Terrance Paige, 29, of Kent, was killed Feb. 6 in the Gatekeepers Club in the 3600 block of East McKinley Avenue. Three other people were shot in the stomach, arm and hand.
Pierce County prosecutors have charged Nathaniel Walsky, 21, with two counts of second-degree murder, three counts of first-degree assault and one count of first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.
He pleaded not guilty at an arraignment Thursday. Superior Court Judge Thomas P. Quinlan set bail at $1 million.
A warrant was issued for Walsky on Monday. The South Sound Gang Task Force arrested him Wednesday night.
The Gatekeepers Club is a nightclub operated on the second floor of the building. The owner was warned in December that he could not continue to operate without a permit for a large gathering, but city officials said he ignored the order.
Charging papers give this account of the homicide:
There were about 50 people inside the club that night.
Paige was there with his brother and two friends when he got into an argument with Walsky’s group.
It is unknown what the argument was about.
Witnesses said one of Paige’s friends convinced him and his friends to leave, but as they were walking out, Paige turned back and insulted Walsky’s group.
“... shortly thereafter, the shots were fired,” prosecutors wrote in charging papers.
Paige was shot multiple times and carried downstairs, which is where officers found him.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
A 28-year-old man and 32-year-old woman were shot and taken to Tacoma General Hospital. A 34-year-old man with a gunshot wound to his hand was dropped off at the hospital and said he was shot at the nightclub.
Detectives tracked down Walsky using witness descriptions of the shooter and social media.
At least one person was able to identify Walsky as the gunman in a photo lineup.
Prosecutors told the court Walsky’s criminal history includes unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and second-degree taking a motor vehicle without permission, and that he is prohibited from having firearms.
This story was written by The News Tribune, and Staff writer Alexis Krell contributed to this report.