On the evening of February 25, 2024, Gianna Stone, a 22-year-old White/Caucasian female, was with five friends at Sam Peach Park in Puyallup, Washington. The group was inside a car when they were approached by individuals brandishing handguns. The incident, initially thought to be a confrontation, was later determined by investigators to be a random attempted robbery.
The armed suspects demanded property from Gianna and her friends.
In an attempt to escape, the driver of the vehicle sped away. As the car fled, the assailants opened fire on the vehicle. A bullet penetrated the back windshield and struck Gianna in the head. Police were called to the area around 9 p.m. after reports of gunshots and found shell casings in the street, but no victim was at the scene. A short time later, Gianna was brought to a hospital in Tacoma, where she succumbed to her injuries.
A months-long investigation led to the arrest of three teenagers in June 2024: Noah Maurice Loyd Branch, 18, Daemeion Carmello Purdy, 18, and Ethan Nordgren, 19. Investigators believe Nordgren drove the other two to the park and waited with the headlights off while Loyd Branch and Purdy, armed with handguns, confronted the occupants of the car. A key piece of evidence that linked the suspects to the crime was a vehicle that matched the description from the homicide scene, which was involved in a crash after fleeing a traffic stop.
Two of the suspects, Noah Loyd Branch and Ethan Nordgren, later pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter. Loyd Branch also pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm. A judge sentenced Loyd Branch to 114 months, over nine years in prison, and Nordgren to 92 months, nearly eight years. During the sentencing, both expressed remorse for their actions that led to Gianna's death. The case for the third suspect, Daemeion Purdy, is still proceeding through the court system.
