On the evening of December 5, 2023, a dispute in Tacoma, Washington, ended in the tragic death of 27-year-old Lane Gouker. The incident occurred at the Aero Apartments in the 9300 block of South Ash Street. Gouker, a male from Spanaway, had gone to an apartment where he previously lived with an ex-girlfriend to retrieve some of his belongings. An argument ensued, and Gouker reportedly kicked at the apartment door.
From inside the apartment, a man emerged from a bedroom and fired multiple
shots, striking Gouker. Witnesses at the scene heard the gunshots and screaming. Gouker was privately transported to a local hospital, where he succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds. The Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office later confirmed his cause of death as a homicide.
In the days following the shooting, the Tacoma Police Department identified a suspect. On December 7, 2023, authorities arrested 24-year-old Keith Eldon Covey in connection with Gouker's death. Covey, who was subleasing the apartment where the shooting took place, was charged with two counts of second-degree murder and one count of second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm. Court records indicate that Covey has prior felony convictions and is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Further investigation revealed that there had been a prior altercation reported to the police on November 22, where Gouker had allegedly threatened the residents of the apartment. On the night of the fatal shooting, one of the apartment's residents told detectives that Covey had previously stated he would shoot Gouker if he ever tried to enter the apartment again. Covey pleaded not guilty to the charges, and his bail was set at $1.5 million.
