On the evening of January 18, 2019, a tragic event unfolded in a restaurant parking lot near the Tacoma Mall, ending the life of 27-year-old Emmalee Masker. Masker, a female resident of Tacoma, Washington, was found deceased inside a vehicle from multiple gunshot wounds. The incident, which was quickly determined to be a homicide-suicide, marked the third homicide in Tacoma that year.
Authorities identified the man responsible for Masker's death as 71-year-old Gary Peterson of Puyallup.
Peterson and Masker had known each other for approximately eight to ten years. Reports indicate that over the course of their acquaintance, Peterson had provided Masker with financial support. It is believed that Peterson's financial troubles, including a recent bankruptcy, were a primary motive in the tragic event. Law enforcement officials suggested that Peterson likely blamed Masker for his financial situation.
On that Friday evening, passersby reported hearing gunshots coming from a vehicle in the parking lot on Tacoma Mall Boulevard and alerted the authorities. When police arrived at the scene, they discovered both Masker and Peterson inside the car, both having sustained fatal gunshot wounds. The Pierce County Medical Examiner's office confirmed their identities and determined that Peterson had shot Masker multiple times before turning the gun on himself.
As the case was classified as a homicide-suicide with the perpetrator deceased at the scene, no arrests were made, and police were not seeking any other suspects in connection with Emmalee Masker's death. The exact nature of the relationship between Masker and Peterson remains largely private, though it was noted that neither was married. The investigation concluded that Peterson's financial distress and his blaming of Masker for his circumstances led to the fatal encounter.
