On the warm evening of July 18, 2018, Robert Doss II, a 28-year-old Black man, was simply enjoying a meal with a friend in Tacoma, Washington. He and a 20-year-old woman were parked in a Ford Explorer near the intersection of South 14th and L Street in the city's Hilltop neighborhood. Their quiet moment was shattered when another vehicle, an SUV, pulled alongside them. One of the men inside the SUV called out, asking where Doss was from.
When he replied, "Hilltop," the SUV inched forward, and a barrage of gunfire erupted from the backseat.
Doss was struck in the chest, the bullets piercing his lungs and heart. His female companion, though shot in the hand, bravely drove them to the nearby St. Joseph Medical Center. Despite her efforts, Robert Doss II was pronounced dead at the hospital. The senseless act of violence left a community reeling and a family heartbroken. Doss was known as a good guy with a great smile who worked as a security guard at a downtown fast-food restaurant. His family, who described themselves as a Christian family, was devastated and perplexed by the shooting, stating they knew nothing of any gang-related conflicts.
The investigation moved swiftly. Just twenty minutes before the fatal shooting, a tip had been called into Tacoma Police about three young men in an SUV confronting people at an East Side convenience store about their gang affiliations. Surveillance footage from the store proved crucial, helping police identify the driver of the SUV involved in the shooting. Six days later, detectives located and arrested three suspects at a house in Graham. The men were identified as Jaden Gene Montgomery-Fisher, 20; Adrian Alvarez, 22; and Joshua Jazz Soria, 24.
During questioning, Montgomery-Fisher admitted to being the driver and identified Alvarez as the shooter. He revealed that they were all members of a gang and had been driving through the Hilltop neighborhood that night specifically looking for rival gang members to attack. The shooting was in retaliation for a fellow gang member being shot and seriously injured in May. They believed Doss was responsible for the earlier shooting, though authorities found no evidence to suggest he was involved in any gang activity. Following the murder, the suspects attempted to alter their appearances by shaving their heads, and Alvarez allegedly tried to destroy the murder weapon. The three men were subsequently charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder, and other offenses.
