In the early hours of August 1, 2020, the life of a 25-year-old Black man named Ty Allen Jenkins was cut short in Tacoma, Washington. Just after midnight, around 12:35 a.m., Jenkins was found shot multiple times on the second floor of the Emerald Queen Casino's parking garage. Puyallup Tribal officers were the first to arrive and attempted life-saving measures, but Jenkins was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation into the homicide was soon taken over by the Tacoma Police Department at the request of the tribal police.
Investigators pieced together the events leading to the shooting, believing it to be a revenge killing connected to escalating gang violence. Surveillance footage showed that about two hours before he was killed, Jenkins had entered the casino with an acquaintance. The two later left and went their separate ways as they reached the parking garages. Meanwhile, a gunman exited the passenger side of a red Toyota Corolla, entered the garage, and approached Jenkins from behind, firing several shots. The assailant then jogged back to the waiting Corolla, which sped away from the scene. The investigation revealed a complex backstory of rival gang feuds. Detectives learned that Jenkins had reportedly been robbed earlier in 2020 during a firearms transaction involving members of a rival gang. Police believed a later shooting in Federal Way may have been Jenkins' retaliation, which in turn made him a target.
The investigation continued for more than two years before a significant break in the case. On February 7, 2023, Tacoma police arrested 29-year-old David Sekou Sebowa Ward, identifying him as the alleged getaway driver. He was initially charged with first-degree murder. In May 2024, Ward, then 31, pleaded guilty to lesser charges of second-degree manslaughter and first-degree rendering criminal assistance and was sentenced to nearly three years in prison.
The man suspected of actually pulling the trigger, identified as Ward's brother, Elijah Dominick Hylton, remains a fugitive. A warrant for Hylton's arrest on a charge of first-degree murder was issued in January 2023. As of mid-2025, the U.S. Marshals Service is actively searching for Hylton, who is considered armed and dangerous. While the driver has been held accountable for his role, the alleged gunman in the death of Ty Jenkins has not yet been apprehended.
