Tacoma man shot to death outside motorhome near city’s Tideflats is identified
A 37-year-old Tacoma man who was fatally shot earlier this month outside a motorhome on the city’s Tideflats was identified Wednesday by the Pierce County medical examiner.
Nicholas Ulugalu died of multiple gunshot wounds, according to the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office. Investigators have said the early-morning shooting occurred Oct. 1 on Cleveland Way between the Puyallup River and railroad tracks.
A 49-year-old man, Kenny Haymore, has been arrested and charged with Ulugalu’s murder. In court documents, Pierce County prosecutors alleged Haymore shot Ulugalu nine times after the victim banged on the door of a motorhome where his ex-girlfriend was staying.
Haymore reportedly lived in a trailer behind the motorhome and drove up after getting a call about the commotion. Ulugalu allegedly shot a bullet into the ground while he was looking for the woman.
Tacoma Police Department officers responded to the incident just after 2 a.m. when a woman driving the victim to the hospital called 911. According to court documents, the caller had difficulties with her car from the shooting, and police found the victim on the ground about a mile from the shooting scene, near the 1400 block of St. Paul Avenue.
Ulugalu was transported to Tacoma General Hospital, where he later died.
His alleged killer was arrested four days after the shooting. In interviews with detectives, Haymore said he was there when the shooting occurred, but he denied shooting the victim.
This story was originally published October 12, 2022 at 12:23 PM.
