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Police investigate homicide in Federal Way

FEDERAL WAY, Wash. — Police are investigating a homicide that occurred Tuesday afternoon in Federal Way.

Officers responded to a report of a man shot on South Dash Point Road and Pacific Highway South.

Chopper 7 flew over the scene and captured medics performing chest compressions on a person on the sidewalk.

Police said the victim is a 19-year-old man from Kent.

People traveling through the busy intersection during rush hour were troubled by seeing the commotion.

“I get off the bus, I could barely get off because the caution tape is everywhere, and it’s just kind of traumatizing to see,” said Joanna Desalegne.

Cathy Schrock, a Federal Way police spokesperson, said the victim had gotten off a bus shortly before someone drove up to shoot him.

Two people who identified themselves as cousins of the victim reached out to KIRO 7 Tuesday night.

One said the victim was a “loving friend, great guy and someone who was happy.” He also said he believes this shooting might have been gang related.

Schrock told KIRO 7 this victim is known to police. She said he has previously been convicted of a car prowl and that Federal Way police have encountered him before on drug-related issues.

She said investigators are still working on whether this is drug- or gang-related.

Bystanders said they were shaken by the violence.

“It’s just so sad. He’s only 19 years old. His life is over. And whoever did it, God knows where they are,” said Sherrie L. Buller.

Buller has lived in the area all her life and said she believes crime has gotten worse.

This was the second homicide in Federal Way since Saturday, when a dispute led to a shooting. The suspect in that case is in custody.

Schrock said that this time last year, they had approximately the same number of homicides. There was one week at the end of April when four people were killed, but she said that was at the hands of the same suspect.

She said that was an anomaly.

Those incidents aside, the pattern has been about the same.

“Any murder is a concern to us, obviously, but we are about what we have been over time,” Schrock said.