Tacoma Fire Department station struck by gunfire in apparent drive-by shooting

TACOMA, Wash. — A Tacoma Fire Department station in South Tacoma was struck by gunfire Wednesday night while firefighters were inside. The Tacoma firefighter’s union described the incident as a drive-by shooting.

Fire Station 7, located at 5448 S. Warner St., was hit by bullets, TFD spokesperson Joe Meinecke confirmed. No one was injured, but multiple bullet holes were left in the building, which also houses the South Tacoma Branch of the Tacoma Public Library.

Photos of the shooting posted to Facebook by the Tacoma firefighter’s union, IAFF Local 31, showed bullet holes in the station’s sign and a hole where one bullet pierced through to a room with exercise equipment.

Firefighters inside heard the gunshots and immediately threw themselves to the floor to protect themselves, IAFF Local 31 president Allyson Hinzman said. She said intact bullets were found inside.

“It’s truly just a godsend that no was hurt,” Hinzman said. “If you look at where the bullets hit and where they came through, there is no reason why there couldn’t have been someone sitting in that chair, or working out at that rig.”

Tacoma Police Department is investigating the shooting, Meinecke said. A police spokesperson was not immediately available to comment.

The shooting comes during a busy week for Tacoma firefighters. In one night, Tacoma fire crews responded to eight residential structure fires that police are now investigating as arson. Three of the fires were reported within an hour.

Hinzman said the shooting is just the latest and most violent instance of attacks on firefighters the union has seen at Station 7 in the past two years. She said it started with people walking by the station and making verbal threats, followed by people physically attacking crews and vandalism at fire stations. Now, firefighters are ducking for cover inside.

“Everyone signed up to do this job to serve our city, to provide a public service,” Hinzman said. “But what we do expect is to be able to go home to our station and find reprieve. And take that deep breath and relax and just have that moment to settle.”

The firefighter’s union has asked the city to provide further safety measures for its workers, Hinzman said, but she said nothing has been done, aside from the addition of a single line of fencing placed in front of Station 7.

This story was originally published by The News Tribune.

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