TACOMA, Wash. — The 17-year-old arrested in the fatal shooting of a 14-year-old boy faces multiple charges, including first-degree murder.
William Isaac Kalama will be charged as an adult, which is automatic under law, according to the Pierce County Prosecutor's Office. Kalama also faces two counts of second-degree murder, first-degree assault, drive-by shooting, and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm.
Just before 3 p.m. on Jan. 12, Tacoma police were dispatched to the area of East 40th Street and Portland Avenue East for a shooting. Witnesses reported hearing six to eight gunshots, according to probable cause documents.
Police found 14-year-old Xaviar Siess with a gunshot wound to the left side of his abdomen. He was shot while standing at a bus stop with three other youths - one was applying pressure to the wound.
Siess was taken to Mary Bridge Children's Hospital where he died.
Surveillance video shows a vehicle pass the four youths, stop and reverse. The vehicle traveled southbound down Portland Avenue, cutting off another vehicle, before what appears to be a handgun is seen sticking out of the driver's side window, according to probable cause documents.
Shots are then heard and one of the youths standing at the bus stop is seen falling to the ground.
Police located the suspect vehicle but it eluded officers.
The following day, police found the same vehicle unoccupied but running in the 6200 block of Montgomery Street. It had distinct damager seen in the surveillance video. A shell casing was on the floorboard, along with a rifle charging handle.
As the investigation continued, detectives received a tip from a relative that a witness said that he heard "Willy" from Montgomery Street was the shooter. Detectives contacted the witness, who denied saying that.
Detectives contacted the owner of the vehicle, who told them she had been with Kalama on Jan. 12. She said he was driving and that when they were passing a bus stop she heard shots fired that "appeared to have come from insider her vehicle," according to probable cause documents.
Detectives arrested Kalama on Jan. 16. He had a .38 caliber handgun when he was arrested. Detectives also found a .45 caliber handgun in his bedroom.