In the early morning hours of December 3, 2017, the life of Terez Bardwell, a 25-year-old Black / African American male from Burien, was tragically cut short. Gunshots rang out around 1:50 a.m. in the 25100 block of 74th Avenue South in Kent, Washington, drawing a swift response from Kent Police patrol units. Upon their arrival at the scene, the parking lot of the Red Lion Inn and Suites, they discovered Bardwell unresponsive, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds.
Despite immediate
efforts to save him through CPR, Bardwell's injuries were too severe, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. The King County Medical Examiner's Office would later confirm that his death was a result of the multiple gunshot wounds he suffered. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Bardwell's mother, Tiwania Bardwell, arrived at the scene to the heartbreaking sight of her son lying on the ground. She later recounted the horror of that moment, seeing the blood and knowing she couldn't stay to watch over him until the coroner arrived, a regret that has stayed with her.
The investigation into Terez Bardwell's death began swiftly, with Kent Police detectives interviewing potential witnesses and pursuing all available leads. Preliminary reports from the police suggested that the shooting was not a random act of violence; rather, they believed Bardwell was specifically targeted. Investigators also indicated that a possible motive could be connected to an association with criminal activity, the extent of which they were still working to determine. To compound the tragedy, Bardwell's mother revealed that her son was robbed as he lay dying in the parking lot.
As of the most recent reports, the individual responsible for Terez Bardwell's death remains at large. Law enforcement did not release any description of a suspect in the days and years following the incident. The case remains an unsolved homicide, leaving a family shattered and still seeking answers and justice for the loss of their loved one. The shooting marked the 12th homicide in the city of Kent that year.
