The early-morning gunfire along Pacific Avenue prompted residents and business owners to call for a stronger police presence in the nightlife district.
TACOMA, WA — Two men were killed and a woman was wounded in a shooting early Sunday in downtown Tacoma, prompting a homicide investigation and renewed concern among residents and business owners about late-night violence along Pacific Avenue.
Police were dispatched at about 12:27 a.m. Oct. 4 after reports of gunfire near South Eighth Street and Pacific Avenue. Officers found two adult men with life-threatening injuries and began lifesaving efforts until Tacoma Fire Department personnel arrived. Both men were pronounced dead at the scene. A woman later arrived at a hospital with a gunshot wound and was expected to survive, according to police.
Detectives and crime scene technicians responded to investigate the deaths as homicides. No one was in custody as of Sunday evening, and authorities had not released the victims’ names or a description of a suspect. Police also had not determined publicly what led to the shooting, whether the violence was targeted or random, or how many people may have been involved.
Investigators spent Sunday gathering evidence and looking for witnesses and surveillance video from the downtown commercial district. The shooting occurred along a stretch of Pacific Avenue that includes bars, restaurants and other businesses. Some people in the area reported hearing numerous gunshots before officers arrived.
The killings quickly renewed concerns from people who live and work downtown about public safety during late-night hours. Residents and business owners told local news outlets that fights and other disturbances have spilled onto Pacific Avenue after businesses close. Some said a visible police presence on weekend nights has helped in the past and called for more regular patrols in the district.
Jay Doherty, a Tacoma resident, told KOMO News that he has seen violence spill into the street on several occasions. Heath Hollensbe, who owns businesses along Pacific Avenue, also called for a greater police presence and said better lighting and surveillance cameras could improve safety in the busy nightlife area.
Tacoma Mayor Anders Ibsen said in a written statement that public safety is a top concern for the city and said officials would work to bring those responsible for the killings to justice. He also said the City Council is working to bring the Police Department to full staffing levels and expressed sympathy for the victims’ families.
The two deaths were Tacoma’s 17th and 18th homicides of 2026, according to local reporting citing police information. FOX 13 Seattle reported that Tacoma had recorded 18 homicides at the same point in 2025. The comparison provides context for the city’s homicide count but does not establish a broader trend in violence along Pacific Avenue.
Police had not announced an arrest or publicly identified a suspect by Sunday evening. The circumstances surrounding the shooting remained under investigation, and authorities asked people with information about the case to contact police.
Author note: Last updated October 5, 2026.