Family, co-workers grieve for man shot in Safeway parking lot

TACOMA, Wash. -- A Pierce County man is still in intensive care after being shot multiple times in a Tacoma area grocery store parking lot.

Pierce County Sheriff’s detectives said the victim, a 20-year-old man, has a criminal record, but managers at the Spring Ridge Assisted Living and Memory Care facility told Q13 News he had passed a background check before he was hired.

The man’s coworkers said he works as a dietary aid at the facility and that he’s well loved.  The center’s residents and employees are still in shock over what happened.

“He’s not just a 20-year-old black man and just forgotten about,” said coworker Shannon Zoller. “Because we don’t just know him as a 20-year-old black man.”

Zoller and fellow employee Janay Creamer said their coworker made a quick shopping trip to a nearby Safeway around 7 a.m. Saturday morning. That’s when police said someone walked up to his driver’s side window and opened fire.

“It’s a whole community that’s been effected by this,” said Creamer.

“He was running to the store to get his residents raisin bread,” said Zoller, “Raisin bread for breakfast.”

Police don’t believe the public is in any danger but the assisted living community is on edge as a gunman remains on the loose, and a young man full of love and promise fights for his life in a hospital room.

“They all got together and said a prayer for him, that’s what we’re all doing,” Zoller said about the residents at Spirit Ridge. “There’s a lot of positive thinking and a lot of praying.”

Detectives are reviewing surveillance video searching for clues in the case.

Crime Stoppers is offering up to $1,000 for information that leads to an arrest. Callers can remain anonymous when calling 1-800-222-TIPS.