Three teens charged in shooting of Tacoma man at his front door

A 63-year-old Tacoma man recovering from hip replacement surgery opened his front door May 4 to a barrage of bullets.

He was shot in the chest, forearm, buttocks, shin and hand. As he tried to flee back into the house, police say, two young men followed and kept shooting until he collapsed in a laundry room just past the kitchen.

Neighbors saw the young men in hooded sweatshirts run out of the house and get into a car that sped away. The wounded man’s girlfriend, who was present at the time of the shooting but unhurt, called 911.

The man was taken to St. Joseph Medical Center in critical condition. His condition improved over the next few days.

He identified one of the shooters as Justice Henderson, his ex-girlfriend’s 17-year-old grandson, and told detectives the two men fired “over and over,” records show.

Police said Henderson was accompanied by Marchae Garrison, 17, and his girlfriend, Melissa Thierry, 18. Garrison is accused of shooting the victim; Thierry is suspected of being the getaway driver.

On Tuesday, Pierce County prosecutors charged the three with attempted first-degree murder. Henderson and Garrison were charged as well with second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.

Thierry of Auburn and Garrison of Federal Way were arraigned Tuesday. Not guilty pleas were entered on behalf of each, and Court Commissioner Meagan Foley set bail for each at $250,000.

Henderson has not been found, and a warrant is out for his arrest.

He and Garrison are charged as adults. Court records didn’t list a lawyer for Garrison.

Defense attorney Michael Stewart was present with Thierry at her arraignment, and before bail was set, told the court, “In no way is it alleged that she was a shooter in this incident.”

Thierry told police she was concerned the teens would do “something stupid” that day after taking Xanax pills.

“Henderson had said he needed to squash some type of beef with the victim,” according to charging papers.

The teen believed the man had assaulted his grandmother in the past “and he was going to do something about it.”

The trio drove to the victim’s house in the 1700 block of South 35th Street about 5 p.m. May 4, according to charging papers.

Neighbors called police to report a suspicious car and three people skulking around the neighborhood. The three were spotted near the victim’s fence before the shooting and seen running down an alley after gunshots rang out, according to the court documents.

Officers later found a gun and ammunition while searching a home where Henderson, Thierry and Garrison lived. It was not immediately known whether it was one of the weapons used to shoot the victim.

This story was originally published May 10, 2016 at 1:50 PM with the headline "Three teens charged in shooting of Tacoma man at his front door."