A Tacoma man convicted of attempted murder for trying to kill his wife in front of their children was sentenced Friday to 35 years in prison.
A Pierce County jury convicted Joshua Howard, 26, of attempted first-degree murder last month.
Prosecutors said Howard fired a shot at his wife inside her Tacoma home in July 2012 and then chased her outside.
She fell, and he pointed the gun at her again and pulled the trigger, but the chamber of the revolver was empty, police said. The woman, who was not hit by the first shot, grabbed the gun and Howard ran off.
Howard reportedly told his wife, “I love you but you got to die,” shortly before the attack.
Howard and his wife, who had recently separated, have four children together, and the woman also has four more children from a previous relationship. They were on the front porch when the initial shot was fired and then scattered when their mother ran outside with Howard in pursuit, court papers show.
At least one of the kids was watching when Howard fired the second shot, prosecutors said.
Deputy prosecutor Angelica Williams sought a sentence above the standard range, and Superior Court Judge Vicki Hogan granted the request.
adam.lynn@ thenewstribune.com
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