Investigators said the 16-year-old was walking with his girlfriend when a vehicle pulled up on Sheridan Avenue South.
PARKLAND, WA — A 16-year-old boy was shot and killed Sunday evening during a robbery in Parkland after people in a vehicle called him over, took jewelry from him and fled, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office said.
The killing has become an active homicide investigation in unincorporated Pierce County. Detectives had not announced arrests, suspect names or a vehicle description by Monday. The sheriff’s office said investigators are looking for surveillance and dashcam video from the area near Sheridan Avenue South and 102nd Street South, as well as nearby streets where the teen had been walking before the shooting.
Deputies were called at about 7:13 p.m. May 24 after several people reported that a male had been shot and was lying in the road in the 10200 block of Sheridan Avenue South. Deputies arrived and began life-saving measures, but the boy was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators said the teen had been walking with his girlfriend when a vehicle approached. Someone in the vehicle called him over, and the people inside robbed him of jewelry before one of them shot him. Deputy Carly Cappetto, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, said two families were hurting after the shooting, including the victim’s family and the girlfriend who witnessed it.
The sheriff’s office said the attack happened near the 102nd Street South and Sheridan Avenue South area. Detectives also traced part of the route the teen had taken before he was killed. He had been walking near the tennis courts by Washington High School, then went north on Ainsworth Avenue South to either 104th Street South or 108th Street South before turning north on Sheridan Avenue South. Investigators said they are seeking video from a five-mile radius of the shooting location between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. Sunday. It was not clear Monday how many people were in the vehicle, what kind of vehicle was used or whether the suspects had followed the teen before the robbery.
Authorities have not released the victim’s name. They also have not said whether the shooting was targeted. The sheriff’s office said early information did not show that the victim and the suspects knew each other. No suspect descriptions had been released, and officials had not said what kind of firearm was used. The case is being handled as a homicide, with detectives seeking witnesses, video and other evidence from homes, businesses and vehicles that passed through the area Sunday evening.
The shooting adds to recent homicide investigations in Parkland, a Pierce County community south of Tacoma. In April 2023, deputies investigated the shooting death of another 16-year-old at the Monterra Apartments on 112th Street East after an altercation in a parking lot. In March 2022, deputies investigated a fatal shooting at the Heatherstone Apartments in which a 15-year-old boy was found dead. Those earlier cases were separate, and officials have not linked them to Sunday’s killing. They show, however, that detectives have handled several serious youth shooting cases in the Parkland area in recent years.
The next steps in the case depend on witness accounts, video evidence and forensic work from the roadway scene. Detectives are expected to review footage from the area around 102nd Street South, Sheridan Avenue South, Ainsworth Avenue South and the streets near Washington High School. Officials said updates would be released as more information becomes available. As of Monday, no charges had been announced, and the suspects remained unidentified in public statements.
Cappetto said the death of the teen and the presence of his girlfriend at the scene made the case especially painful for investigators and the community. “People need to understand we have two families that are hurting right now,” she said. She said the victim was a young person whose life was taken, while his girlfriend had to watch the shooting unfold. The sheriff’s office said the investigation remains active and that detectives are still working to learn where the vehicle came from, where it went and who was inside.
The case stood open Monday, May 25, with Pierce County detectives seeking surveillance or dashcam video from Sunday evening. The next public milestone is expected when the sheriff’s office releases suspect information, an arrest update or additional details from the homicide investigation.
Author note: Last updated May 25, 2026.