TACOMA, Wash. — Residents of Tacoma's Salishan neighborhood are still in shock after four people were killed in a shooting Thursday evening. Three of the shooting victims belong to the same family.
There are no suspects in custody.
The victims were identified as Raymond Williams, age 22, his girlfriend Natasha Brincefield, 22, his older sister Maria Nunez, 42, and her son Emery Iese, 19.
The Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office released the identifies of Brincefield, Nunez and Iese late Friday. Williams' mother, Marlene, confirmed the death of her son, Raymond, while speaking with KING 5 Friday.
"I'm on my knees, praying to God like, 'Why? Why them?'" said Marlene Williams. She also lost her daughter and grandson in the shooting.
Maria Nunez and her son Emery were among those killed in Thursday's shooting. Nunez is a mother to seven children and married to Louie Iese, a pastor at the Tacoma Indian Baptist Church, according to Williams.
"We need support. We need support, we're a family. This is a pastor's family that this guy took," Williams said.
Tacoma Police have not provided additional information in the case as of Friday and it is unclear if they have any suspects.
Marlene Williams, meanwhile, is gaining strength from her family and friends.
"I don't have my son and my daughter, for no reason. So please, if anybody knows something, please please help us because it shouldn't be like this," Williams said.
Brincefield's grandfather, Bruce Massingale, said she worked at Frito-Lay and is a graduate of Lincoln High School, where she met her boyfriend Raymond.
Thursday’s shooting brings Tacoma’s homicide numbers to 27, with 18 of them due to gun violence. Investigators are working on leads to find the shooter, who is still at large.
City leaders say the Tacoma Police Department has a strong track record when it comes to solving homicides.
“We’ve had an uptick in homicides, but I think one thing we must all be aware of, we have an 82 percent solve rate, and 95 percent over the past six years, while the national average is 61 percent,” said Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards. “So while we wish these tragedies didn’t happen, and we could prevent all these tragedies, it’s also good to know that we can bring closure when they do happen.”
Tiffany Songer initially dismissed the loud bangs she was hearing.
“It was just a bunch of noise, I thought they were fireworks. At least five or six. So I just carried on about my business,” she said.
But once she learned what it actually was, she couldn’t believe that four people were killed so close to her.
“I could’ve been out here walking my dog, and I could’ve been that bystander,” she recalled. “It’s crazy, it’s scary, for sure.”
While police work on finding out who is responsible for the shooting, counselors are being called in to help people process the traumatic experience.
Lister Elementary sent counselors to students in the neighborhood who may be having trouble understanding what happened.
The Eastside Community Center has grief counselors on standby ready for anyone who needs them.
City leaders are also planning a vigil for this weekend to honor the victims who lost their lives.
“I don’t live far from here, but I don’t live next door and the impact is tremendous,” said Councilwoman Catherine Ushka, who represents Salishan and District 4. “As I stand with the Mayor side-by-side I would reiterate that we are standing side-by-side with this community.”
The Tacoma Police Department is calling on anyone with any information about Thursday's shooting to reach out to them at Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.