In the early hours of Sunday, March 13, 2016, a gathering at a Tacoma, Washington apartment turned tragic, ending the life of 39-year-old Maluelue Fitiao. A male of Pacific Islander descent, Fitiao was hosting a party in his residence in the 7400 block of McKinley Avenue when a dispute broke out shortly before 12:40 a.m. The confrontation escalated to gunfire, and Fitiao was fatally shot.
When Tacoma police officers arrived at the scene, they discovered a small gathering still present,
though several individuals had already fled. Inside the apartment, they found Fitiao deceased. His 29-year-old girlfriend had also sustained multiple gunshot wounds. She was transported to a local hospital and was expected to survive her injuries. The scene of the crime yielded evidence suggesting the involvement of potentially two shooters, as detectives recovered shell casings from two different firearms.
The investigation into the shooting led to the arrest of two men on the evening of Thursday, March 17, 2016. However, details regarding the identities of these suspects, the specific charges they faced, and the ultimate outcome of their arrests are not available in the online sources that were consulted. The motive for the shooting was described by police as stemming from the initial dispute at the party.
