On a spring afternoon in Tacoma, Washington, the life of 16-year-old Larry Darnell "Trae" Marshall III was tragically cut short. On March 29, 2023, the Foss High School student and football player was walking near the Lakeside Landing Apartments, across from Tacoma Community College, when he was fatally shot. Just moments before, at 12:47 PM, he had sent a text to a friend, making plans to meet for food.
By 1:13 PM, police were responding to reports of a shooting, where they found the young male unresponsive with multiple gunshot wounds. Despite the immediate response, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation into the homicide revealed a heartbreaking case of mistaken identity. Surveillance footage captured two individuals following Larry before they opened fire, leaving 33 shell casings at the scene. It was later determined that the shooting was an act of retaliation for a robbery that had occurred days earlier, a crime in which Larry had no involvement. He was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, targeted by individuals seeking revenge against a group of people with whom he was acquainted. The senseless act of violence sent shockwaves through the community, highlighting a surge in youth violence in the area.
A week after the tragic event, on April 5, 2023, the Tacoma Police Department announced the arrest of three suspects in connection with the murder. Two 17-year-olds were taken into custody in Tacoma, while a 28-year-old man was apprehended in Portland, Oregon, with the help of U.S. Marshals. All three were initially booked for first-degree murder. One of the teenagers, Devonte Jayquan Pool, who was 18 at the time of his plea, later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Another suspect, Isiah Davon Martin, a 31-year-old man, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, being an accomplice to first-degree murder, and two counts of second-degree murder. The jury also found that he was armed with a firearm during the commission of the crime. He was accused of orchestrating the fatal shooting in retaliation for being robbed and mocked online by friends of the victim.
