In the pre-dawn hours of September 5, 2022, the life of Papaloa Sauileone, a 42-year-old male resident of Tacoma, Washington, was tragically cut short in what appeared to be a random act of violence. Sauileone had just purchased a coffee from a gas station on East 72nd Street and was walking near the intersection of East I Street when a green Chevy Malibu approached him. An exchange of words followed, and then a man inside the vehicle fired, striking Sauileone.
Though wounded, he managed to run a short distance before collapsing in the street.
Firefighters responding to a call at approximately 5:13 a.m. discovered Sauileone lying in the intersection. Despite their efforts to provide medical aid, he was pronounced dead at the scene. The Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office later confirmed that he died from a gunshot wound to the torso and ruled his death a homicide. Remembered by his family as a big-hearted man with a great love for his wife and six children, Sauileone was known for his passion for playing the guitar and serenading his loved ones.
The investigation into the seemingly senseless killing led Tacoma Police detectives to identify a suspect. Days after the shooting, police tracked the green Malibu to Spanaway. A 22-year-old man, Kevin O'Neal Harvey Jr., was later arrested in Kent in connection with the homicide. He was subsequently booked into the Pierce County Jail and charged with two counts of second-degree murder. According to court documents, there was no known connection between Harvey and Sauileone, and a clear motive for the shooting was not apparent. A judge set bail for Harvey at $1 million as the legal proceedings began.
