TACOMA, Wash. — Earlier this week, Tacoma police arrested a 16 and 18-year-old suspected in a convenience store robbery.
Now, it’s believed the 18-year-old may have also been responsible for a fatal shooting in a separate robbery the day before.
On Tuesday, the owner of the “Little Store” on the corner of South 35th Street and South Ainsworth Avenue was shot and killed during an early afternoon robbery.
The store owner’s death has sent shock waves throughout the community.
“It’s a pretty horrible thing to happen to a guy, a thing that nobody deserves to be put down like that like that’s a pretty horrible thing, I can’t imagine what the motive was,” said neighbor Brandon Garrigeues.
Jeannie Dodd was a friend of the victim who says she remembers him as a kind person.
“I just remembered a kind soul, my partner passed away last year and he was very sincere and such a sweet man,” said Dodd.
A day after the shooting, two suspects walked into a separate convenience store on Pacific Avenue, pointed a gun at the clerk, and demanded they get on the floor. They grabbed several items and then ran out. As they left, two customers followed in their car, yelling at the suspects to stop.
A short time later, officers found both suspects and arrested them.
On Friday, evidence processed by the state crime lab helped detectives establish probable cause to determine the 18-year-old suspect may have also been responsible for the Little Store shooting.
If you would like to help the victim’s family, feel free to visit the GoFundMe.
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