TACOMA, Wash. — On Monday, Tacoma police arrested a 17-year-old suspect in a shooting that left another teen injured near Lincoln High School.
The victim, a 16-year-old boy, was taken to the hospital in stable condition.
Police said it happened on the 600 block of 37th Street at 11:40 a.m. Investigators say the teens got into an argument that quickly escalated into a shooting.
Tacoma Public Schools (TPS) told KIRO 7 the school went into lockdown after hearing reports of gunfire near the school. The district said the teens were ‘most likely’ students at Lincoln High.
KIRO 7 obtained video from a resident at a nearby apartment complex that shows teens yelling, “He’s got a gun!” before shots were fired.
“Personally, I believe in second amendment rights. I believe everybody’s got a right to protect themselves, so I don’t know that situation. But I don’t believe any child so have a gun,” said resident Sean Chapman.
Neighbors told KIRO 7 the suspect ran into an apartment and barricaded himself inside for hours.
“Police are talking to him to open the door. He was not opening the door... about two hours and then they had to call SWAT team... they came and when they came, he opened the door and he went out,” said resident Lyuba German.
German lives at the complex and watched the hours-long standoff unfold. After a few hours, the teen was taken into police custody.
She says the suspect was young man she’s recognized from the neighborhood.
“He’s not so bad a kid and he always likes saying hi to people and is always polite around here,” German explained.
German believes the teen may have been bullied, but said reacting with violence is never the answer.
“It’s really sad because we want to be safe over here because we have kids over here, full of apartment kids and grandkids. After this accident, it’s kinda like you want to feel like you’re safe going outside in this neighborhood,” German said.
Tacoma police say security cameras and the cooperation of the community were a big help in tracking down the suspect.
“There are security cameras in Tacoma on almost every block so when we have a citizen who knows how to operate their cameras and can pull it up quickly and want to work with the police, it changes the game for us so thanks to the community for stepping up,” said Officer Shelbie Boyd with Tacoma Police.
The 17-year-old suspect was booked into Remann Hall Juvenile Detention Center on a first-degree assault charge.
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