Pierce County deputies arrest 15-year-old suspect in Parkland murder

Teen arrested for murder of Parkland man appears in court

Pierce County Sheriff's detectives have arrested a 15-year-old suspect in the murder of a 19-year-old man in Parkland.

PARKLAND, Wash. - Pierce County Sheriff's detectives have arrested a 15-year-old suspect in the murder of a 19-year-old man in Parkland.

On July 31, deputies responded to a report of a shooting near the intersection of 119th St. S and Pacific Ave. S at 6:39 p.m. Officers arriving at the scene located the body of Ja'Pree Marcus on Pacific Avenue, along with multiple shell casings and a firearm that was left in the road.

On Saturday, deputies arrested the15-year-old suspect in Auburn.

Detectives say they were able to identify him as the suspect after a responding patrol Sergeant's dash cam showed him driving away from the shooting scene in a red Tahoe.

No motive for the killing has been revealed.

The suspect is expected to appear in juvenile court on Monday.

Ja'Pree's mother has started a Gofundme to help pay for his funeral.

"Ja’Pree had just graduated in June of 2023 with honors and even gave a speech at his graduation for his entire class. Ja'Pree was intelligent, overly talented, kindhearted and funny & he most certainly loved whoever loved him. He was not only a son, but he was a brother, an uncle, a cousin, a friend and a grandson. And he will truly be missed by so many people," she wrote.

ORIGINAL:

Pierce County Sheriff's deputies are investigating a shooting that left a man dead in Parkland on Wednesday.

According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, deputies responded to a report of a shooting near the intersection of 119th St. S and Pacific Ave. S at 6:39 p.m.

Witnesses reportedly saw a man go down in the roadway. Officers arriving on scene located a dead man on Pacific Avenue, along with multiple shell casings and a firearm that was left in the road.

It's believed the suspects drove away from the scene and traveled north on Pacific Avenue , but there is no current description available.

Deputies say the victim was a 19-year-old from Spanaway. Law enforcement spoke to his girlfriend, who was with him and witnessed the shooting.

According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, a crowd of people showed up at the scene and a deputy was assaulted by a family member.

The deputy was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

The man was arrested and booked into the Pierce County Jail for third-degree assault.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the Sheriff’s Department, or you can make an anonymous tip through Crime Stoppers, which can be found on the Sheriff’s App.