On the evening of July 28, 2021, a burst of gunfire shattered the relative quiet of a department store parking lot in the South Hill area of Puyallup, Washington, leaving a community in shock and a family heartbroken. Sixteen-year-old Franklin Kiraba Thananga, a Black male known affectionately to his friends and family as "Duce," was found with multiple gunshot wounds. First responders arrived at the scene in the 16910 block of Meridian Avenue East around 10:20 p.m., but it was too late.
Thananga was pronounced dead at the scene.
Those who knew Franklin remember him as a vibrant young man who loved playing basketball and video games, and cherished spending time with his younger siblings and cousins. The sudden and violent end to his young life left many searching for answers. Investigators began the arduous task of piecing together the events of that tragic night, speaking with witnesses who reported seeing a person fleeing the scene after the shots were fired.
The investigation into Franklin's death soon focused on someone he knew. Lajaeveon Maurice Simon, also 16 years old at the time and described in court records as a friend of Thananga, was identified as the suspect. Simon turned himself in to authorities and was arrested in early August 2021. He was subsequently charged as an adult with first- and second-degree murder in connection with the fatal shooting.
According to charging documents, the motive for the killing may have been a desire to steal a gun that Thananga possessed. The investigation revealed that Thananga had gone out with friends, including Simon, on the night he was killed. After Thananga failed to return home, his mother's inquiries to Simon were met with denial of them having been together, a conversation she later described as feeling "a little off." Investigators found twelve shell casings and five fired bullets at the scene, with several bullets located underneath Thananga's chest, suggesting he was already on the ground when he was shot multiple times. Lajaeveon Maurice Simon pleaded not guilty to the charges, and a judge set his bail at $1 million.
