On a Sunday evening, May 14, 2023, the life of 36-year-old David Robinson of Kent was tragically cut short in Tacoma, Washington. At a gathering on the 1500 block of South 56th Street, what began as a verbal exchange with an unknown man escalated into fatal violence. The male suspect and Robinson exchanged words before the man walked away. Moments later, Robinson followed him down the sidewalk and, out of view of surveillance cameras, was shot multiple times.
Tacoma Police officers
responded to reports of gunfire around 9:18 p.m. and found Robinson wounded on the sidewalk. They immediately began life-saving measures until emergency medical personnel arrived and transported him to a local hospital. Despite their efforts, David Robinson succumbed to his injuries. The Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office later confirmed his cause of death as multiple gunshot wounds and officially ruled it a homicide.
The investigation into Robinson's murder has been hampered by a lack of cooperation from witnesses. Though friends of Robinson were present and witnessed the confrontation and shooting, they have reportedly not been forthcoming with information. Surveillance footage captured the initial interaction, showing the unknown male walking past Robinson near a fence gate, their verbal exchange, and the suspect walking away before Robinson followed. The suspect was last seen walking past 5320 South Cushman Avenue.
As of now, no arrests have been made in the case, and the suspect remains unidentified. The Tacoma Police Department and Crime Stoppers of Tacoma-Pierce County have sought the public's assistance in identifying the individual responsible for David Robinson's death, which marked the 15th homicide investigated by the city's police department that year.
