3rd suspected gunman charged in shooting death outside Lakewood nightclub

A third suspect arrested in connection with the shooting death of a man outside a Lakewood nightclub has been charged.

Leonard Brightmon, 31, was extradited from Portland on Friday and booked into Pierce County Jail.

Brightmon pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder at arraignment Monday for the Oct. 21 death of Terrance King.

Superior Court Commissioner Meagan Foley set bail at $2 million.

Co-defendants Kenneth Davis, 19, and Monroe James Ezell, 30, previously pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder for the shooting outside New World VIP Lounge.

Investigators say the three are Portland gang members and were identified as homicide suspects after detectives there reviewed surveillance video from two clubs on the night of the shooting.

Charging papers give this account:

Brightmon, Davis, Ezell and several others jumped King while inside the nightclub.

That led to two separate fights before the suspected gang members left the club.

As they walked toward the parking lot, surveillance video allegedly caught two of them turning around and firing shots toward the club.

A third gunman was captured shooting toward the entrance of New World.

King was shot in the back and died.

Three other men were shot and wounded.

Among the three gunmen, police estimated 20 shots were fired.

Ezell was the first to be identified as a suspect, and detectives used social media to identify Davis.

Police learned the same group of men were inside a Tacoma nightclub before they went to New World VIP Lounge that night. Investigators used surveillance video from the Tacoma club to identify Brightmon.

Prosecutors said if the other men seen in the video are identified, they also would be charged in the attack on King.

It’s unknown what prompted the fight inside the Lakewood club.

This story was originally published January 7, 2019 at 10:41 AM.