PARKLAND, Wash. — Two men are believed to have shot and killed each other in Parkland on Tuesday morning.
The Pierce County Sheriff's Department (PCSD) shared a post on social media just before noon indicating that deputies had responded to a shooting that occurred at a bus stop near 112th Street South and 12th Avenue South in Parkland.
One man was dead when deputies arrived. First responders tried to resuscitate the other man but he died at the scene, according to PCSD Sgt. Darren Moss.
Deputies believe there was some sort of argument between the two young men. Based on witness interviews and surveillance footage, Moss said the two men shot at each other.
Moss said one of the involved men was 18 years old. Law enforcement officials are seeing a concerning trend with young people committing crimes, Moss said, adding that police want to work with the community to stop it.
“Let us talk to your youth because something’s got to change and I don’t want to see another dead kid or two dead kids on a corner,” said Moss.
Deputies do not know if other people were involved.
The shooting happened near James Sales Elementary School where staff were in a training, according to a spokesperson for the Franklin Pierce School District. No students were in the building. When the shooting happened, the school was placed in lockdown. As of 2:15 p.m., the school was operating in a modified lockdown, which includes ongoing precautions.
One woman who lives nearby the bus stop said she was just leaving her house in her car when the shooting happened. She was one of the multiple people who called 911.
“I heard the three gunshots, and then I turned and my husband was hollering at me, ‘Get out of here. Get out of here. Get out of here,’” said Maryanne Fife, who lives in the neighborhood. “I heard two more shots, and I saw the one gentleman go down, the one that was on the bike.”
While the investigation was underway, deputies closed off 112th Street South in both directions. The road was reopened at 4:30 p.m.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.