Dozens flee as shots fired out outside Parkland bar
Aug 26, 2026, 1:05 PM
Deputies respond to a shooting outside a Parkland bar. (Photo courtesy of the Pierce County Sheriff's Office)
(Photo courtesy of the Pierce County Sheriff's Office)
Pierce County deputies are asking for the public’s help after a chaotic early morning shooting outside a packed Parkland bar left one man injured and investigators with few answers.
The shooting happened around 1 a.m. outside Marco’s Cantina, a bar and restaurant on Garfield Street South in Parkland. According to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, 40 to 50 people poured out of the business as shots were fired and deputies arrived.
When deputies got to the scene, they were directed to a man suffering from a single gunshot wound. His injury is described as non-life-threatening, and he was taken to a local hospital after deputies provided medical aid.
But with several dozen people in the crowd, many of them emotional and believed to have been drinking, the scene quickly became difficult to control. The sheriff’s office called in the Washington State Patrol and the Lakewood Police Department to help secure the area and manage the large group.
No one cooperating after Parkland bar shooting despite large crowd
Investigators said that despite the size of the crowd, no one is cooperating with law enforcement. So far, they have no identified suspect or suspects, and they do not yet know what sparked the fight that led to gunfire. Detectives are still working to determine whether the shooting was gang-related, alcohol-fueled, or involved multiple people.
The sheriff’s office said that with 40 to 50 potential witnesses on scene, they are hopeful people who saw what happened will come forward. Those accounts, investigators said, will be critical to solving the case.
Deputies are urging anyone who was at Marco’s Cantina early this morning, or anyone who has surveillance video from the area around 1 a.m., to come forward and contact the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office.
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