TACOMA, Wash. — Police said a murder suspect in a bar shooting that killed two people at a lounge in Tacoma turned himself in at the police station on Sunday afternoon.
The Tacoma Police Department said the alleged suspect turned himself in at Tacoma Police Headquarters just after 4:30 p.m. on Sunday. He was arrested on suspicion of two counts of first-degree murder and three counts of first-degree assault in a shooting that injured three people.
Officers responded to the shooting in the 2700 block of 6th Avenue at around 1:30 a.m., according to the Tacoma Police Department. An officer at the scene told KING 5 the shooting took place inside The Alleycat Patio & Lounge.
Tacoma police said arriving officers found four victims with gunshot wounds. A 35-year-old man died at the scene and a 34-year-old woman died later as a result of the shooting.
Police said three other victims had serious injuries and were taken to the hospital. During the investigation, police learned a fifth victim had been shot.
"This is a single incident, there's no reason for us to believe at this point in time it was gang-related, or random or an active shooter situation," said William Muse, spokesperson for the Tacoma Police Department. "Information that we have so far is there was a negative interaction between the alleged suspect and one of the shooting victims."
The latest homicide brings the total number of deaths by homicide in Tacoma to 27 this year. Police said there were 42 homicide deaths in 2022.
As police investigate, the department hopes people will rethink using violence as an answer to disputes.
"Other people had their lives just dramatically altered as a result," Muse said. "And it's not just the people who were shot and injured at the scene. It's their family members and their friends that have to deal with the fact that they either lost someone or almost lost somebody in a senseless act of violence."
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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