Police arrest suspected 15-year-old gunman in fatal Hilltop shooting
A 15-year-old boy believed to be the gunman in the Nov. 7 shooting of 19-year-old Phillip Ryan has been located.
The boy was arrested in Chico, California, and taken into custody by FBI agents, according to a news release from police spokeswoman Loretta Cool. He is being held in Butte County, California, and waived extradition. The boy will be transported to Pierce County for a charging decision, possibly in juvenile court. The News Tribune is not naming the boy because he hasn’t been charged yet.
“He is believed to be the person who shot and killed Ryan,” the news release said.
Two other suspects in the incident were arrested and charged with second-degree murder earlier this week. Arkeats Ross, 19, and Jasiah Tolbert, 16, are in custody. A third suspect, Isiah Cavitt, 17, faces the same charge, and has an active warrant for his arrest.
Charging papers tied to the shooting say the 15-year-old called Ryan by name and accused of him sexually assaulting a family member before pulling out a handgun and shooting him. Earlier this week, deputy prosecutor Greg Greer told The News Tribune there was no evidence Ryan had hurt the teen’s family member.
Sean Robinson: 253-597-8486, @seanrobinsonTNT
This story was originally published November 13, 2015 at 7:05 AM with the headline "Police arrest suspected 15-year-old gunman in fatal Hilltop shooting."