A 20-year-old suspected in at least two shootings died by suicide in a SWAT standoff in Kent while officers were trying to arrest him.
According to Kent PD, the man was believed to have been involved in a drive-by shooting at a Tacoma Walmart on Tuesday night. Tacoma officers were trying to arrest a shoplifting suspect when someone fired multiple rounds at officers from a car.
The 20-year-old was also suspected of being involved in an armed robbery and shooting in Kent that happened on April 26.
Detectives found the suspect at a home on S 259th Pl in Kent and established a perimeter to try and get him to surrender peacefully.
Negotiators reached the suspect by phone and convinced him and two family members to leave the home, Kent PD said. All three exited the home, but the suspect suddenly turned around and ran back inside, locking the door, Kent PD said.
Negotiators tried to get back in contact with him but were unsuccessful. At one point, officers heard a single gunshot come from inside the house.
Because the suspect was believed to be involved in two shootings and was armed, Valley SWAT responded.
After other attempts to contact the suspect failed, an arrest warrant was secured and Valley SWAT broke the front door down and used a drone inside the home to find the suspect, Kent PD said.
The 20-year-old was found unconscious and unresponsive in a bedroom with an apparent gunshot wound, according to police.
Kent PD said officers tried to save his life, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
A medical examiner will determine his cause and manner of death.
