2 men who died in a homicide-suicide outside Lakewood hospital are identified
Officials have identified two men who died Tuesday in a homicide-suicide outside a Lakewood hospital.
Police say Daniel Sawyers, 32, of Gig Harbor, came to St. Clare Hospital about 7:45 a.m. and asked his estranged wife if he could speak with her new boyfriend, who also worked at the hospital.
Sawyers’ wife agreed and her boyfriend, 27-year-old Eljahn Balon, came outside to a parking lot.
“As soon as they met, the estranged husband opened fire on the boyfriend,” police Lt. Chris Lawler said Tuesday.
Balon was shot multiple times and taken to a local trauma center, where he died.
Sawyers, who turned the gun on himself, was pronounced dead at the scene.
His wife was not injured in the shooting.
St. Clare Hospital briefly went on lockdown, which was lifted after detectives determined it was an isolated incident and the public was not in danger.
It did not appear the couple had yet filed for divorce, according to Pierce County Superior Court records.
This story was originally published June 10, 2020 at 10:11 AM.
