In the late hours of October 29, 2017, a night out for 22-year-old Daquan Foster, a Black/African American male and a soldier stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, ended in tragedy in the parking lot of a Tacoma, Washington nightclub. Foster, accompanied by his wife and friends, was leaving Latitude 84 on South Hosmer Street when a dispute erupted.
The verbal altercation quickly escalated to physical violence, culminating in a hail of gunfire as Foster and his wife attempted to flee to their car. Struck multiple times, Daquan Foster was rushed to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. His wife also sustained a gunshot wound to her thumb but survived the attack.
The investigation into the shooting led Tacoma police to identify two suspects: Marshall Marion Wilson and Randy L. Donaldson. Evidence gathered at the scene, including shell casings from two different firearms, indicated the presence of two shooters. An argument in the parking lot appeared to be the catalyst for the deadly encounter, with no prior known conflict between the victims and the assailants. Wilson, a rap music promoter, was arrested in Kent, and Donaldson was also taken into custody. Both men were subsequently charged with second-degree murder and first-degree assault.
The legal proceedings that followed brought a measure of justice for Daquan Foster's family. Marshall Wilson was convicted of murder, assault, and unlawful gun possession and was sentenced to more than 43 years in prison. Randy Donaldson's path to conviction was more prolonged, involving two mistrials due to hung juries. However, in a subsequent trial, Donaldson was found guilty of second-degree murder, first-degree assault, and second-degree assault. He was sentenced to 42 years and 10 months in prison for his role in the senseless killing of the young husband and father.
