Masked gunmen opened fire on an apartment building in Midland Sunday evening, triggering a gunfight that sent more than 20 bullets flying through a residential complex where families with young children dove for cover, leaving one innocent bystander wounded and residents questioning whether they can stay.
Pierce County Sheriff’s deputies flooded the Golden Given Terrace Apartments in the 1100 block of 99th Street Court East just before 7:30 p.m. after receiving dozens of 911 calls reporting between 20 and 70 shots fired. When they arrived, they found a man shot in the shoulder who had been caught in the crossfire. Medics transported him to a hospital for surgery, and he’s expected to survive despite being an uninvolved bystander.
Investigators pieced together what happened from surveillance video and witness accounts. A group of masked men approached the complex and opened fire toward an upstairs apartment unit. Video footage captured a man running down the stairs from that unit carrying a gun, then returning fire at the attackers. The exchange left more than 20 shell casings scattered across the parking lot, with bullets punching through several parked cars and the building itself.
The violence erupted in a complex filled with families. Mona Peter, who has lived there for three years, described the chaos when gunfire broke out. “We just heard multiple gunshots. It was loud. Right when we heard it, all my kids, including my brother’s kids, ducked down and we all hid,” Peter said.
Another neighbor who asked not to be identified was with children when the shooting started. “We heard the first round, and we looked at each other. She looked out the window because she thought it was fireworks. Then it went off again, that’s when we ran in the living room and got down on the floor because we had kids here at the time,” the neighbor said. Despite the terror, deputies arrived extraordinarily fast. “The police were here within like a minute. By the time we got back to the room for our phones, and I looked outside, the police were here, so that was relieving.”
Both the masked attackers and the tenant who returned fire fled the scene. Witnesses said the group of gunmen escaped in a car immediately after the shooting. The tenant has not been seen at the apartment building since and investigators have not disclosed whether they’ve made contact with him or if he’s cooperating with the investigation.
The aftermath left residents shaken and questioning whether they can continue living in a place where such violence can erupt without warning. “In the moment, it was terrifying, and I didn’t know if I was going to die or not,” said another resident who asked not to be identified, adding that they plan to move in the coming months. The fear is understandable given the number of rounds fired in a space where children play and families live their daily lives.
The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office said no arrests have been made and no suspect descriptions have been released. Detectives are reviewing surveillance footage as they work to identify both the masked gunmen who initiated the attack and the tenant who fired back. The investigation will need to determine whether the tenant acted in self-defense or if he bears criminal responsibility for endangering neighbors by engaging in a gunfight in a residential area.
