Man arrested in death of Mount Tahoma football player to be released from jail
A 20-year-old man who was arrested in the killing of a Mount Tahoma High School football player has not been charged, pending further investigation, according to the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
The man was arrested Wednesday for the boy’s death. The case is in “no charges filed-pending” status, and the man will be released from the Pierce County Jail, Prosecuting Attorney’s Office spokesperson Adam Faber told The News Tribune on Friday.
Officers were dispatched just before 9:30 p.m. April 20 after calls were reported about gunfire in the 1700 block of East 41st Street, which is in the Salishan neighborhood of Tacoma, The News Tribune reported. The boy was wounded and taken to a local hospital where he died.
The 20-year-old man was booked into the Pierce County Jail on suspicion of first-degree murder, according to the Tacoma Police Department this week.
The victim was later identified as Veron Lockett, a junior at Mount Tahoma High School where he played football, according to a News Tribune report. A candlelight vigil in memory of Lockett was held at the school’s football stadium on April 22. A GoFundMe has also been set up to support his family.
