Brothers, 13 and 15, charged in Tacoma shooting that critically injured teen
Two teenage brothers have been charged in a Tacoma shooting that critically injured a 16-year-old boy.
The brothers, who are not being identified because they are underage, were charged Monday with three counts of first-degree assault and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm. The oldest brother is also charged with attempted first-degree robbery and unlawful delivery of a controlled substance.
The younger brother was booked into Remann Hall Juvenile Facility Thursday. A warrant has been issued for his brother, who has not been found.
Charging papers give this account of the shooting:
The victim took his pregnant girlfriend and her cousin to Eatonville to buy acid from the older brother, whom he was friendly with.
During the drug deal, the older brother allegedly pointed a gun at the victim and demanded all his money.
The victim drove away and the oldest brother fired several times at the vehicle, records say.
As the group returned to Tacoma and neared South 27th Street and South Yakima Avenue, the younger brother allegedly opened fire on the car and shot the victim.
When police arrived, they found the victim in the passenger seat of a Chevy Malibu that had several bullet holes in it.
The victim was taken to an area hospital and treated for a gunshot wound to the neck. He is in critical condition.
Doctors say if he survives, the victim will likely be a quadriplegic.
Witnesses to the shooting pointed officers toward the brothers’ house, and police eventually spoke to the younger brother on the phone and convinced him to return to the scene.
He told police he was walking down the street with friends when the Chevy’s driver pointed a gun at him.
The 13-year-old “said he feared for his safety and aimed his own gun at the driver through the passenger side of the car,” prosecutors wrote in charging papers. “He was adamant he feared he would be shot and acted in self-defense.”
Police said they found evidence two guns were fired.
Bullet holes were found in the Chevy’s hood, windshield and passenger door.
A gun belonging to the victim was found inside the car.
This story was originally published February 1, 2021 at 2:02 PM.
