In the early morning hours of May 24, 2021, a fatal encounter unfolded at the Colonial Garden apartments in Lake Stevens, Washington, ending the life of 35-year-old Terrance Moore, a Black / African American male. The events leading up to the shooting involved Moore and his roommate, Emmanuel Perez, who had reportedly been drinking and using drugs for fourteen hours prior to the incident.
An argument erupted between the two men inside their shared apartment.
The altercation escalated and moved from their living room to the outside parking lot. A witness, who was cleaning her car nearby, reported hearing gunshots originating from the apartment. She then saw Perez emerge and walk towards a car, followed by Moore, who was clad only in a bathrobe and socks. According to the witness, Moore questioned Perez, asking, "How could you do this to me?". Perez then raised a handgun and fired multiple shots. Moore was struck seven times in the neck, chest, and leg. Despite the arrival of police and paramedics, he succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
Following the shooting, Emmanuel Perez, a 44-year-old corrections officer at the Monroe prison, fled the immediate area. He was apprehended by police shortly after, about a block away in the parking lot of a nearby restaurant. At the time of his arrest, Perez was in possession of a. 40-caliber pistol and a knife. A search of his pockets also revealed substances suspected to be cocaine and methamphetamine. He was taken into custody and booked into the Snohomish County Jail.
Perez was initially charged with first-degree murder, to which he pleaded not guilty, claiming self-defense. He alleged that Moore had attacked him first, nearly shooting him with a shotgun. However, prosecutors contended there was no physical evidence to support Moore ever having a gun. During the trial, it was revealed that after initially shooting Moore, Perez went to his car to reload before shooting him again. In June 2024, a jury found Emmanuel Perez guilty of the lesser charge of second-degree murder for the death of Terrance Moore.
