Marco Teran was a 16-year-old Hispanic/Latino male from Tacoma, Washington, and a student at Tacoma Public Schools. His death in the spring of 2025 was one of several homicides involving young people that shook the community.
On the night of April 12, 2025, a shooting took place near the 4200 block of Portland Avenue East. Shortly after 10 p.m., Marco and another man arrived at a local hospital with gunshot wounds.
While the other man was listed in stable condition, Marco was in critical condition. He fought for his life for several days before succumbing to his injuries. The Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office later confirmed the cause of death was anoxic encephalopathy due to a gunshot wound to the chest and ruled the manner of death a homicide.
The loss of Marco and another student to gun violence in the same month prompted a plea from Tacoma School Board President Korey Strozier. "We need everyone—families, city leaders, organizations, neighbors, mentors—to wrap around our young people," he stated in a social media post. "It will take a coordinated effort to build a safety net strong enough to hold them. No one can sit this out."
For weeks, the case remained under active investigation with no arrests. Then, on May 22, 2025, Tacoma police, including the SWAT team, arrested three 18-year-old men in connection with Marco's death. The men were booked into the Pierce County Jail on suspicion of first-degree murder and four counts of first-degree assault. The three men were later formally charged with first-degree murder. As of August 2026, they remain charged and are awaiting trial.
