Witnesses say people ran for their lives when gunman opened fire at Tacoma convenience store; 1 killed



TACOMA -- A man was killed Monday when a gunman opened fire on him in a Chevy Impala parked outside an Am Pm convenience store in Tacoma.

The shooting happened at the corner of Union and Center Street around 1 p.m. Witnesses say the store was packed with people and some jumped out of nearby cars and ran for their lives. Witnesses say the gunman standing near Center Street sprayed a barrage of bullets across the parking lot towards the parked car.

William Miller says he witnessed the shooting. He says the gunman reloaded his weapon, walked up to the car and fired more rounds into the car.

"Started unloading again, to make sure he shot everybody," Miller said.

The bullets also hit the convenience store; luckily no inside was hurt.

Miller says he and another witness chased a suspect down to a nearby neighborhood at 30th and Procter.

"I wanted him to get caught so we chased him," Miller said.

Miller says during the chase the gunman turned around and threatened him with a gun.

"That's when he turned around and pointed it like that," Miller said.

The witnesses backed off when police caught up to the man hiding inside a home near 30th and Procter.

"Everybody is pretty shaken up," said one witness.

People working nearby say they are so shaken up some people went home early.

Nearly five hours after the shooting, detectives were still canvassing the area of shell casings and other evidence.

The man taken into custody by police was questioned and then released. Police said he was not the suspect in the shooting.

The gunman was described as a black man in his 20s, about 5-foot-8, 150 pounds, wearing a gray hoodie, blue jeans and possibly wearing a blue and white baseball cap and possible dreadlocks. He was last seen on Center Street, police said.

If anyone has information on the shooting or shooter, they are urged to call 911.