Shooting in Parkland seriously injures man in reported road-rage incident, deputies say
A 19-year-old man was badly injured Monday night while driving with his girlfriend in Parkland when he was shot by a person in another car in what deputies described as a road-rage shooting.
The victim was hospitalized, and Pierce County Sheriff’s Department detectives are seeking tips from the public to identify and locate the gunman, who was described as driving a royal blue, four-door Hyundai or Nissan sedan, according to a statement from the department.
Deputies and Washington State Patrol troopers responded at about 5:51 p.m. when a 911 caller reported he had been shot during a road-rage incident in the 1900 block of 112th Street East, just east of Franklin Pierce High School. The victim received first aid until Central Pierce Fire & Rescue personnel arrived and took him to a hospital.
Based on an initial investigation, detectives believe the man and his girlfriend were driving east on 112th Street near 18th Avenue East when another vehicle pulled beside them while driving in the left lane and fired a single round into their vehicle, hitting the man, according to the Sheriff’s Department. A photo shared by the department showed a single bullet hole high in the driver’s side window.
Sgt. Darren Moss, spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Department, said the driver was able to drive another block or so and pull over to call 911. It’s not known what prompted the shooting, but Moss said the driver reported that someone turned in front of him beforehand and he and other drivers had to swerve to avoid the vehicle.
Anyone with information about the incident was asked to contact deputies online or submit a tip through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
This story was originally published December 13, 2022 at 1:16 PM.
