Second teen in custody after gun exchange leads to death of 15-year-old in Tacoma
A 16-year-old boy suspected of involvement in a shooting that killed 15-year-old Moses Tillman of Tacoma in September was arrested Saturday, the second suspect police have taken into custody in the case, according to a release Monday from the Tacoma Police Department.
The Auburn Police Department arrested the 16-year-old Saturday and transferred him to Tacoma police, who booked him into Remann Hall on suspicion of first-degree murder, according to the news release.
Tillman was shot in the midst of a proposed gun exchange with two other teenagers while he was with his cousin in the 1300 block of East 67th Street on Sept. 14, 2024, The News Tribune reported, based on court records. Tacoma police officers responded to the area shortly before 4 a.m. after hearing of the shooting.
Finding Tillman suffering from gunshot wounds, both officers and Tacoma Fire Department personnel attempted life-saving measures, but he did not survive, the release said. Crime-scene technicians and detectives opened a homicide investigation.
The Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office identified Tillman’s cause of death as a gunshot wound to the torso and his manner of death a homicide in a release Sept. 19.
The News Tribune reported that the first suspect arrested in the case is a 17-year-old boy, Ziair Gilbert. Seattle Police Department officers took him into custody Feb. 19 and transferred him to Tacoma police, who booked him into Remann Hall, according to the release Monday.
Gilbert was charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm in Pierce County Superior Court last month, The News Tribune reported. A plea of not guilty was entered on his behalf during his arraignment Feb. 20 and a judge set his bail at $1 million. The News Tribune is naming Gilbert because he will be tried as an adult due to the severity of his charges.
“At this time, no additional suspects are being sought,” the Tacoma police release Monday said. “Detectives and Crime Scene Technicians continue to actively investigate.”
