‘Grasping at straws’: One week after deadly Salishan shooting, families seek answers
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Mass shooting in Salishan neighborhood
Four people were shot dead in Tacoma’s Salishan neighborhood Thursday evening. Stick with The News Tribune as we report the latest in this developing story.
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A week after four people were gunned down in Tacoma’s Salishan neighborhood, families of the deceased say they still don’t understand why their loved ones were targeted.
Police have little information to offer them. The Tacoma Police Department has not made any arrests.
“Detectives are working diligently to close this case,” TPD spokesperson Wendy Haddow told The News Tribune on Thursday.
A mother, Maria Nunez, her teenage son, Emery Iese, his uncle, Raymond Williams, and the uncle’s girlfriend, Natasha Brincefield, were killed late in the afternoon Oct. 21 outside Nunez’ home.
Neighbors told The News Tribune the four victims were in a vehicle together in the backyard alley of Nunez’ home when a gunman approached the car and shot at them.
“You can’t put sorrow into words,” Brincefield’s mother, Kathina Brincefield, said Thursday.
Brincefield said she doesn’t understand why someone would do this to her family. She said she has to put faith in the work police are doing, but she hasn’t heard much from them. She’s passing along any information she can to detectives.
“It’s still really confusing,” she said. “From what we’re getting from the police, they don’t even know what this was all about. At first, they were grasping at straws.”
Louie Iese, a Tacoma pastor who ministers to a congregation on the Eastside, lost his 42-year-old wife, Maria Nunez, in the shooting. Iese is a father to seven children, and he said he and some of his kids who work are taking time off to be with one another. Aside from his work as a pastor, Iese also works as a bus driver taking kids to school.
Iese said he’s hoping for some information from the police soon.
“These last days have just flown by,” he said. “I haven’t bothered the detectives and police. I want to free up whatever time they have just to work on this case and bring these people to justice.”
The night of the shooting, Iese said, he was calling 911 trying to get some answers. But the only contact he said he’s had with police was when he talked with detectives canvassing the neighborhood.
As a pastor, Iese said, he’s always been on the other side of tragedies, offering support. Now that he is the one at the center of tragedy, Iese said, God has answered every need that has come.
“It’s hard for me to express the gratitude of friends and family and even strangers,” Iese said. “People we do not know have come by to show their support, show their prayers. People have knocked on the door — just left food, cards, flowers.”
On Monday, a memorial for the four victims set up on the porch of his wife’s home was filled with lit candles, plush toys and flowers. One pink Starbucks drink said “Tasha” on the lid with a drawn-on heart. Family and friends of Natasha Brincefield called her Tasha.
Brincefield’s boyfriend was Raymond Wiliams. His brother, Marcos Williams, said he was at Brincefield’s parents’ house Thursday going through photos and clothing. Marcos Williams said his wife was helping Brincefield’s parents pick out an outfit for the 22-year-old to be cremated in.
Marcos Williams said he took a week off work to process the shooting. He said he and his wife have tried to do things to keep themselves busy, like going to his brother’s favorite restaurant or going to see “The Last Duel” at the movie theater.
Marcos Williams has a 3-year-old son. He said he’s trying to keep his brother and Brincefield’s memory alive for his son.
“All I try to do right now is I just try to repeat the names to him and let him know that they loved him,” Williams said.
“Uncle Ray. Aunt Tasha.” Williams’ son says the names back to his father.
“For as long as I can, I’ll try to do that,” Marcos Williams said. “But you know he’s little, and I talked to other people, and they say memory starts to fade from little kids. For now I’m going to try to do that.”
This story was originally published October 29, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
