Mom of 7 shot to death in Tacoma park identified, killer still on the loose
TACOMA, Wash. - A mother of seven was found dead in a Tacoma park, and police are trying to find the person or people who killed her.
Someone spotted her underneath a table in the picnic shelter in Oakland Madrona Park off of South Madison Street, and called 911 at around 8:30 a.m. Monday.
A family member told FOX 13 that she was a beloved mother, sister and friend who will be dearly missed.
"We have a neighborhood chat, a neighborhood watch," said Nathan Carlisle, a neighbor who lives near the park.
On Monday morning, neighbors like Carlisle began getting texts and notifications that a woman had been found dead under the picnic shelter.
"Went over and saw a body lying under the gazebo there," said Carlisle. "It was very upsetting."
He says his wife heard something loud overnight, but the park is poorly lit, and it's not uncommon to hear noises that sound like gunfire in the area.
"My wife said she heard a couple bangs, but I didn’t investigate. We are so used to it," said Carlisle.
Tacoma Police have not released a cause of death, but family members tell us her name is Ngaire Tusi, a mother of seven, in her 30's.
The Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office confirms her identity as that of Tusi. Her cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head, and the manner of death was homicide.
They say they learned that she was beaten and shot in the head, then left in the park until someone spotted her underneath a picnic table and called 911.
Family members say Tusi was a good person and well-known in her community. They say she was the type of person that would try to solve other people's problems and would often try to mediate for people or "talk them down" if they were frustrated. They did not want to talk on camera for safety reasons Monday.
On Tuesday, her sister issued the following statement to FOX 13:
"Ngaire was loved, respected and well known in the community. Her murder was absolutely senseless and uncalled for. Our hearts are shattered and will never be mended the same. We are having difficulty accepting the truth and the fact that we will never see her precious face again and just to be in her lively presence will forever kill us internally. Our Dad is terminally ill with stage 4 stomach cancer and is taking the news extremely hard. Our Mom too is ill. We are forever broken. Our sister enjoyed making memories and vlogging those memories via photos and videos and she was known for it. The thought of her gone is very surreal. She was too trusting of others and saw the good in people & always overlooked peopleʻs hidden agendas - which we believe is what led to her demise. Ngaire was a loyal mother, daughter, sister and friend. She will be forever missed and forever mourned. Everyone loves and misses you dearly with all our heart, mind body and soul. Rest easy my dear sister, until we meet again at the gates of heaven. You didnʻt deserve this and justice will be served. "
"She is a family member who was well known and she was a great mother. That’s the part that is crushing, that she now has seven babies that are now going to have to do life without her," Tusi's uncle Louie said.
Neighbors hope the city cracks down on the violence and other activity that is playing out in the park.
"There is a shooting, at least once a night, we call about gunshots," said Carlisle.
A child overdosed in the same park in 2022 after finding and eating a fentanyl pill near the playground. An officer was credited at the time with saving the child's life. Neighbors tell us that they don't let their kids play in the park anymore due to the growing number of dangerous incidents there.
Carlisle says he wants the city to install better lighting in the park, and provide a larger law enforcement presence in the park.
"Hopefully, maybe this will get them in gear. I don’t know how many bodies have to be sprawled out over Tacoma for them to kind of start policing people," said Carlisle.
If you have any information on who may have been responsible for the woman's death, contact Tacoma Police at 253-287-4455.