At Birney Elementary School in Tacoma, WA, firefighters responded to a call around 7:35 am. There in the parking lot of the school, a 30-year old woman was found dead from two gunshot wounds. The woman was a teacher at the elementary school, who had been working with local police in an anti-harassment case against her known attacker. The suspected gunman, allegedly a man she knew from college, had waited at the school for the teacher to arrive, then fled the scene after shooting.

At the time of the shooting there were no children present at the school. All buses were re-routed as word of the shooting spread.

Witnesses who heard gunshots were able to give a description of a man in a hooded sweatshirt, and his vehicle. A Pierce County Deputy later pulled over the suspect after identifying the vehicle. An altercation ensued and the deputy fatally wounded the suspect.

It has been said that the woman was a special education teacher at Birney Elementary School, although her identity is being withheld from the public until next of kin can be established and notified. The school will be closed for the rest of the day to allow time for investigation of the crime scene.