Tacoma police are investigating a homicide after an adult male was found with apparent gunshot wounds on the 2700 block of South Orchard Street Friday just after noon.
Officers responded to reports of an unresponsive male and discovered the victim. Tacoma Fire Department personnel pronounced the man deceased at the scene. The man has not been identified.
Detectives investigated the incident in a homeless encampment in a wooded area Friday.
“They’ll look to see if perhaps there were people around, maybe patrol officers are aware of this encampment, maybe, you know, they know of people who frequent this area,” said Shelbie Boyd with Tacoma police. “Maybe the businesses around have cameras, and so, investigators will look at all those possibilities, they interview people, and then hopefully at some point we’ll have somebody in custody.”
Detectives and crime scene technicians are actively investigating the incident. Authorities urge anyone with information to call 911.
The shooting occurred in an encampment setting where witnesses may be transient and difficult to locate, creating challenges for investigators attempting to establish timelines and identify suspects. Homeless encampments present unique investigative obstacles including lack of fixed addresses for potential witnesses and limited surveillance infrastructure.
The South Orchard Street location is a residential area where encampments have formed in wooded spaces, reflecting broader regional challenges with unsheltered populations and associated public safety concerns.
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