Pierce County mass shooting: Why deputies arrived 30 seconds too late, despite noise complaint 90-minutes earlier

Ninety minutes before a mass shooting broke out at a house party overnight on Saturday, Pierce County sheriff’s deputies were called to the scene via a noise complaint from neighboring residents. But by the time they arrived, a shooting had already taken place, claiming the lives of two young victims.

According to Pierce County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Carly Cappetto, the shooting broke out 30 seconds before deputies arrived at the scene.

Why was there a delay in police response? Deputies were responding to high priority calls.

What delayed the sheriff’s office’s response?

When the noise complaint was first called in at approximately 10:45 p.m. Friday, an armed robbery call came in at the same time—taking priority. And other deputies who might have been able to respond were occupied with an earlier, unrelated homicide.

Deputies were dispatched to the noise complaint at 11:45 p.m., but were then diverted to assist with a high-risk traffic stop.

“It’s frustrating as a citizen, right?” Cappetto told KIRO Newsradio. “I mean, you want a response from your deputies, and when you call 911 and want something done about it, you want something done about it now.”

Once the deputies finished at the traffic stop, they headed to the noise complaint at the party. Approximately 30 seconds before they arrived, shots rang out, leaving two dead and four injured.

According to Cappetto, staffing levels at the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office have not changed in more than 20 years.

“What has changed is our deputy-to-population ratio,” Cappetto said. “Population growth is huge in Pierce County, but we’ve never changed our ratios for our deputies.”

What happened during the mass shooting

When deputies arrived, they found a victim dead in the street in front of the home hosting the party.

According to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, multiple people were armed at the party, and those who were shot by the suspect fired shots back before collapsing. Six people were shot in total, and two died—a 15-year-old and a 19-year-old. The four other victims remain at local hospitals with serious injuries, but are expected to recover.

The party was hosted by a 17-year-old girl, whose mother was reportedly home at the time of the party. According to responding deputies, she said she didn’t see the shooting.

An arrest and charges

The Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office filed charges on Monday against a 17-year-old they suspect shot and killed the two teenagers during the house party.

The 17-year-old was charged with two counts of murder in the first degree and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in the second degree. The teen appeared in court Monday afternoon and pleaded not guilty to all three counts. His bail is currently at $2 million.

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