LAKEWOOD, Wash. — Lakewood police are investigating after a woman was shot and killed Saturday night.
At around 9 p.m., officers responded to reports of a shooting at the Western Inn at 9920 South Tacoma Way.
Arriving officers found a woman in her 50s with gunshot wounds and began life-saving measures.
She was transported to a hospital, where she later died.
“Unfortunately, what happened here is an absolute travesty. We genuinely are sorry for the families who’ve been affected,” said Zachary Cuzzetto, a manager at the Western Inn.
“We both heard the pop sound of the gun, but we didn’t think anything — it wasn’t very loud. When we found out a lady got shot, I couldn’t believe it,” said Carmen Johns, who says she’s been at the inn since December.
Several people staying at the Western Inn said a man shot the woman in her head or chest, then she fell down a flight of stairs.
The murder marks at least 44 homicides in Pierce County so far this year, meaning the county is on track to far outpace the 65 homicides that happened in all of 2021.
“There have been so many murders — I’ve never heard of so many murders in my life. One after another, after another, after another,” said a woman named Linda, who didn’t want to share her last name. “Yeah, it’s scary,” she said.
“What’s going on with gun violence in Pierce County,” Cuzzetto said. “It’s sad, not only do we work in the community, but we live here , so it just proves nobody is immune to what’s going on,” he said.
Police say details of what happened and the suspect’s whereabouts are unknown, but they are investigating the incident as a homicide.
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