AUBURN, Wash. — In the moments after a horrific attack, the King County Sheriff's Office had their helicopter and K9s out Friday night, searching for a gunman around Watermark Apartments in Auburn, but they came up dry.
Malki Loeak, 29, a beloved father, had been gunned down in his own home, and he was pronounced dead upon responders' arrival.
"I want justice for him," said Jeffrina Loeak, his romantic partner.
Loeak spoke with KING 5 in a one-on-one interview to share her horrific account of the moments that changed her and their four children's lives forever.
"We never saw this coming," said Loeak.
She said somebody knocked on their door.
"He looked in the peephole, but they blocked it," said Loeak. "They started banging. So he went and opened the door... they shot him right there.”
Officers responded to Watermark Apartments but Loeak was pronounced dead when they got there.
"My kids were there and they had to witness that," she said.
It’s especially traumatic for their 2-year-old who saw it all.
"I feel like my kids are going to need therapy after this year," said Loeak.
She said her toddler is still reeling from shock.
"She goes, 'Daddy head hurt. Mommy, daddy head, it's hurt,'" said Loeak.
It's a tragedy beyond words... but why?
"He had a big heart. A really big heart," she said.
She said he was loved by everyone who knew him.
"Did he talk about any kind of altercation?" we asked.
"No, no," she responded.
Were there any lawsuits he was involved in or debts he owed?
"No," she said. "He was a good guy. Yeah, he had, like, no enemies. No warrants. No, no criminal history."
Loeak said he worked in pest control, visiting homes and providing services. She never mentioned a dispute or disagreement with any customers, and she said he would commonly receive glowing reviews.
"It was a shock to everybody at work, too," said Loeak.
So, the pursuit of justice continues. We reached out to the King County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday for an update on their investigation, but the office remained tight-lipped.
"This case continues to be actively investigated by KCSO Major Crimes," said spokesperson Sgt. Eric White.
Meanwhile, Loeak said she would want to tell him this if the victim were still here today.
"Thank you for loving me and my family the way you did... thank you for taking my two older kids as your own and claiming them as your own," said Loeak.
She said he was a protective and loving partner and father.
"Not only was he taking care of me and my kids, but he was also taking care of his mom, my grandma, we take care of my brothers and my mom," said Loeak. "He was a workaholic. He worked six days a week for like 10 hours.
She said he was a "family man" and thoroughly enjoyed quality time with his kids.
"If he’s not at work, he’s at home taking care of his kids," she said. "He was the biggest homebody."
She said he also served in the U.S. Army for six years. He grew up on the Marshall Islands, according to Loeak.
Loeak said he was the "backbone" of their family.
"Now I'm faced with a lot of, you know, the bills, funeral planning," she said.
If you'd like to help Loeak with those costs, a GoFundMe has been set up in her name.
Meantime, the suspect is still on the run.
If you have any helpful information for investigators, call the King County Sheriff's Office at (206) 263-2090, or you can email them at mcutips@kingcounty.gov. You may also submit tips anonymously via the P3Tips app.