Halloween party ends in shooting; shooter still on the loose

SUMNER, Wash. — A Halloween party ended with people scrambling to escape after a man opened fire. The hunt is on for the person who shot five people in the South Sound.

The shooting started around 12:30 Saturday morning on 127th Avenue East in Sumner.

Pierce County Sheriff’s deputies say they don’t know why someone opened fire outside the house, nor who the shooter is.

Neighbors describe a chaotic scene as people fled the gunfire.

“It just went pop, pop, pop,” said Jeff, a neighbor, as he described what he heard in the dark of night a block away. “There were people running from back there, everywhere. And the next thing I know cops show up. Somebody’s on a stretcher. And 20 minutes later, three shots go off back there. Somebody’s running across the field.”

Partygoers scrambled to take cover.

“At first we thought they were fireworks or something,” said Kevin Palma, who was at a different party in the neighborhood. “But then we saw people running and we were like ‘what’s going on?’ So we came outside. People started hiding outside.”

Deputies say at about 12:30 a.m., there was an altercation outside of the lone house on 127th Avenue East. A man then pulled out a gun and started shooting.

Five people were struck. Four of them were taken to the hospital by private vehicles. A fifth victim, a woman, was in a speeding car pulled over by deputies. They called a medic for her.

Detectives are still trying to figure out a motive, but Sgt. Darren Moss Jr. says they are looking for just one shooter. He was asked if people were firing at each other.

“That’s still being investigated at this point in time,” said Sgt. Moss.

KIRO 7 spotted several people coming to the house the next day, but all of them insisted they knew very little about the violent night before.

Sgt. Moss says all five people should survive their injuries. He said a weapon was found, but detectives weren’t sure if it was the gun used in the shooting.

The shooter is so far only described as a curly-haired man with a medium build. Police need help finding him.

Detectives are continuing to investigate.

Cox Media Group