On December 30, 2017, a day of what was described as family horseplay turned into a tragedy, ending the life of Mark C. Dearden, a 44-year-old White / Caucasian male from Auburn, Washington. What began as a seemingly lighthearted moment in an apartment on F Street Northwest ended with a fatal gunshot wound. Dearden was shot in the back of the head and was pronounced dead at the scene despite the efforts of medics who responded to a 911 call made from the residence.
The person who pulled the trigger was 21-year-old Deanna Kahealani Fale of Tacoma, the niece of Dearden's girlfriend.
According to reports, Fale told authorities that she did not intend to shoot Dearden and believed the firearm, a Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm, was unloaded. She stated that she had taken the gun from her boyfriend and, as Dearden was walking into the bathroom, he told her to stop messing with it. In what she described as a joke, she told him to "shut up" and pulled the trigger. A single shot was fired, striking Dearden just behind his left ear. Fale immediately dropped the weapon and called 911, reportedly telling the dispatcher she had accidentally shot someone.
The investigation that followed revealed a history of reckless behavior with firearms within the family. Fale admitted to police that her actions were reckless and that the family often played with firearms in a similar manner. The handgun used in the shooting had been found in a ravine in Federal Way by a relative of Fale's. Her boyfriend was aware that the magazine was in the gun but claimed he did not believe it contained any bullets.
Deanna Kahealani Fale was arrested and charged with first-degree manslaughter. At her arraignment, she pleaded not guilty. Bail was set at $250,000, and she was booked into the King County jail. Prosecutors argued that her actions, including grabbing the firearm, racking the slide, pointing it at Dearden's head, and pulling the trigger, were reckless and resulted in his tragic and untimely death.
