Posted on: February 10, 2023, 05:05h.
Last updated on: February 10, 2023, 05:41h.
Police this week arrested the alleged getaway driver in a 2020 fatal shooting at Tacoma, Wash.’s Emerald Queen Casino parking garage. The gunman remains at large, but police reportedly may be closing in on him.
The suspected driver, David Sekou Sebowa Ward, 29, was arrested Tuesday for first-degree murder in the August 1, 2020 death of Ty Jenkins, 25.
During a Wednesday court appearance, Pierce County Superior Court Commissioner Craig Adams set Ward’s bail at $1.5 million. He remained in custody at the Pierce County jail on Friday.
Two hours before the casino shooting, Jenkins and a unnamed second person walked into the casino. Later, the two left and Jenkins went into the parking garage.
Then, the unnamed suspect exited a nearby red Toyota Corolla and walked into the garage. He snuck behind Jenkins. He allegedly fired several shots at him. Jenkins died on the garage’s second floor.
The shooter then ran to the Toyota and the car sped off shortly after midnight with Ward at the wheel, police said.
Ward has no known criminal convictions and was not identified in court documents as a gang member, the News Tribune said. But a picture of Ward was seen in social media pages linked to the suspected shooter.
Also, Ward owns a red Corolla. The rims on his car are similar to the rims of the car used in the casino shooting, police said.
The alleged shooter, who police suspect is Ward’s half-brother, is being sought in connection with the case, according to The News Tribune, a Tacoma newspaper. Local police told the newspaper this week they are working on his arrest.
ID of Shooter
Police have evidence pointing to the identity of the suspected shooter. He was wearing four large rings on his left hand at the time of the shooting, police said. The suspect was seen in social media pictures with similar rings.
Soon after the casino shooting, a man was at a pawn shop pawning the four rings, the report said. He, too, matched the description of the suspected shooter, police said.
Police later seized the rings at the pawn shop as evidence in the case.
Gang-Related Violence
Police believe the casino shooting was related to gang activity and may have been in revenge for prior shootings.
The suspected shooter was believed to be a member of a local Crips gang. Jenkins was a member of a rival Crips gang.
When police searched Jenkins, they found a 9 mm pistol and in his car, they found a rifle.
Bullets from the pistol matched casings found at four prior shootings in Pierce County. They also matched those found at a murder in Federal Way, Wash.
Jenkins was believed to have been robbed in 2020 during a gun sale. His would-be shooter took part in the deal, police believe.
A revenge attack took place in July 2020, police said. Another man in the earlier gun transaction was shot nine times in July in Federal Way. Brice Armstrong, 17, was also shot. Neither of these two were believed to be involved in the casino shooting.
Shell casings at the July shooting matched those from Jenkins’ 9 mm pistol, police said.
A 12-year-old boy was injured from the shooting, too.
The Emerald Queen Casino is owned by the Puyallup Tribe of Indians.
