Tacoma residents march for peace, after three deadly shootings in a week
TACOMA - There have been three deadly shootings in less than a week in Tacoma. The latest happened on Saturday afternoon, when police say a vehicle drove up to a young man on Martin Luther King Way and opened fire. The victim, 19 year old Philip Ryan, was rushed to the hospital but he did not survive. It’s another loss for a community that is already grieving.
Jacqueline Adams is still mourning the loss of her neighbor Elijah Crawford. The 18 year old was killed Monday night in a shooting.
“I just can't believe that this happened, it's just a tragedy,” she says. “It’s sad, it hits too close to home for me.”
Adams and many of her neighbors came together Saturday night, to remember Crawford and to call for an end to the gun violence plaguing Tacoma. But just hours before their peace march began, shots rang out again. This time, a driver shot and killed a young man in the Hilltop neighborhood.
“That could have easily been someone who wasn't even being targeted,” says Jamika Scott. “You know, a bullet has no name. It could have been anybody.”
Tuesday morning, 26 year old Steven Speakman was found shot to death just a block away. Right now, Tacoma police don’t believe the shootings are related. But Scott says it’s concerning to have so many deaths in a short period of time.
“It’s devastating for this community, considering that there have been a lot more efforts recently to kind of curb gun violence.”
Adams agrees.
“I just want these young people to know gun violence is not the way to go,” she says. “You’re destroying families, you're destroying each other for no reason.”
Adams is encouraged by the number of people who showed up to march for peace. She hopes they can teach the next generation to stop the violence.
“As adults and parents, we got to make sure we keep these younger ones staying strong and living. We can't do this, we can't keep this going on.”
Tacoma police talked to several witnesses in the Hilltop neighborhood, but they all gave different descriptions of the vehicle involved in Saturday’s shooting. That’s why they don’t have any information about a possible suspect yet.