Federal Way police focusing ‘all our resources’ on deadly shootings

Federal Way police are “prioritizing all of our resources” to solve a recent spate of shootings that has left three men dead since Monday, Chief Andy Hwang said Wednesday.

Speaking at a news conference, Hwang called the number of shootings — four, including two Tacoma men — over a short period of time “very unusual” for a city that averages three to four homicides a year.

Thus far, the city has had five homicides in 2016, he said.

“We’ve never faced three homicides in a very short duration such as this,” he said.

Hwang said police are looking into possible motives, including gang violence and drug dealing.

“We are not excluding anything,” he said.

He said at this point there are no confirmed connections among the victims, adding to the difficulty in the investigation.

Mayor Jim Ferrell called the homicides a “serious public-safety issue.”

The fatal shootings occurred at:

▪ 1:01 a.m. Monday: Alex J. Kelley, 26, of Seattle was smoking on a porch when he was killed at a Federal Way apartment complex in the 1300 block of Southwest Campus Drive. He died of a gunshot wound to the torso.

▪ 12:17 a.m. Tuesday: Frank Cohens Jr., 27, of Tacoma was shot in a parked car in the 2200 block of South 333rd Street. He died from multiple gunshot wounds.

▪ 11:12 p.m. Tuesday: A Tacoma man was walking his dog when he was killed in the 1800 block of Southwest 356th Street.

In addition, a fourth shooting occurred at 9 a.m. Monday when a 21-year-old man was wounded in the 3000 block of South 288th Street. Hwang said the shooting was determined to be accidental.

The King County Medical Examiner’s Office has yet to identify the third shooting victim.

City leaders and police are discussing a prevention plan, and officials plan to roll out ideas next week at a council meeting, police spokeswoman Cathy Schrock said earlier this week.

The city plans to hold a public meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday (May 12) at City Hall to discuss the recent violence, Farrell said.

Hwang, on Wednesday, said extra officers have been added to the streets and an incident commander has been assigned to oversee the shooting investigations.

“We are not dealing with any bigger issue right now in Federal Way,” he said.

This story was originally published May 11, 2016 at 12:22 PM with the headline "Federal Way police focusing ‘all our resources’ on deadly shootings."