DES MOINES, Wash. — A jury returned a guilty verdict Friday in a 2021 triple homicide outside a sports pub in Des Moines.
A King County Superior Court jury convicted Joshua Puloka, 46, on eight felony charges.
Puloka was found guilty of one count of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder, three counts of first-degree manslaughter, one count of first-degree assault and one count of second-degree assault.
“Senseless acts of violence shake our sense of community safety,” Des Moines Police Chief Tim Gately said in a statement. “Law enforcement professionals are committed to holding criminals accountable for their actions. I am proud of the hard work and dedication of Des Moines Police Department personnel, our partner agencies, and the jurors who devoted their time and attention to return a guilty verdict in this case.”
Puloka shot and killed Antoine Matthews, Angelia Hylton, and Ezra Taylor and injured two others in the parking lot of La Familia Sports Pub and Lounge on Sept. 26, 2024.
Court documents say Puloka was shown on video in an altercation with one of the victims before the shooting. The victim swung at Puloka, who then began shooting as he fell down.
Puloka shot the victim twice in the back as he ran away, killing him.
Four other bystanders were shot, according to court documents, two of whom also died from their injuries.
Puloka turned himself in to law enforcement in October 2021.
The trial gained national attention this year when a judge prohibited the defense from using AI-enhanced video as trial evidence. NBC News reported it may be the first ruling of its kind in a United States criminal court.
Puloka was convicted on all counts for which the jury was instructed. The jury was not instructed on three charges Puloka faced because the evidence was either sufficient on other counts or it was unnecessary, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.
Puloka is expected to be sentenced June 21. He is subject to life in prison without parole, as this is Puloka's third strike, according to the prosecutor's office.
Correction: A previous version of this story misstated the number of counts for which Puloka was convicted.
