Police say the 14-year-old was found inside a vehicle at East 64th Street and East McKinley Avenue on Friday afternoon.
TACOMA, WA — A 14-year-old boy was found with a gunshot wound inside a vehicle after a collision near East 64th Street and East McKinley Avenue on Friday afternoon, Tacoma police said. Officers and medics took the teen to a hospital, where he was listed in critical condition.
Police are investigating how the shooting and the crash are connected and who pulled the trigger. The discovery drew a large response to the south Tacoma intersection just before the evening commute as detectives canvassed for witnesses and video. No arrests were reported Friday night. The case adds urgency to ongoing concerns about gunfire involving young people as the department works to piece together a timeline from the initial 911 calls to the boy’s transport to the hospital.
Officers were dispatched just before 4 p.m. to reports of a crash in the 6400 block of East McKinley Avenue. When they arrived, they found a damaged vehicle with the teen inside suffering from a gunshot wound, according to police. Traffic at East 64th and McKinley was blocked while patrol officers secured the scene for investigators. Detectives photographed the vehicle, marked shell casings, and searched the roadway and nearby sidewalks for additional evidence as the rush-hour traffic backed up along the corridor. A patrol sergeant at the scene said the priority was stabilizing the teen and preserving any evidence that could show where the shot came from and whether the gunfire happened before or after the collision.
Investigators had not released the teen’s name, school, or condition beyond “critical” by late Friday, and police did not specify the make of the vehicle or who owned it. It was also not clear whether anyone else was inside when officers arrived. No suspect description was immediately available. Witnesses in the area told reporters they saw youths running from the intersection after the crash and heard a single burst of noise that sounded like a gunshot, but detectives were still working to confirm those accounts. Officers planned to review security cameras at nearby businesses and homes and examine the vehicle for ballistic evidence, including bullet paths, to determine where the shot originated and whether the round was fired from inside or outside the car.
The intersection sits near the Midland line in south Tacoma, a mix of small businesses, single-family homes, and arterial streets that carry steady neighborhood traffic. Officers in the sector have responded to several serious crashes and shooting calls in recent months, according to department summaries, which has kept emphasis patrols rotating through the corridor during late afternoons and evenings. Friday’s investigation brought out the crime scene unit and traffic officers, who re-routed vehicles around the closure as school dismissal and end-of-week commutes overlapped in the area. Neighbors watched from porches and store entries as the taped perimeter expanded, and some drivers abandoned cars to walk to nearby homes while the road remained blocked.
Detectives opened a felony investigation and notified juvenile advocates who often assist families after violent incidents involving minors. Standard procedures include interviews with any known associates, a search for nearby video from traffic and commercial cameras, and a review of 911 audio for timing and background details. If a weapon is recovered, lab work will check for fingerprints and DNA and compare shell casings with entries in federal databases to see if the same gun appears in other cases. Police also typically request hospital updates on the victim’s condition and, if possible, conduct a bedside interview when doctors allow. No charging decisions were announced Friday; if an arrest is made, initial court paperwork would likely be filed early next week with a first appearance to follow.
As dusk fell, the taped scene remained in place around the intersection. A tow truck removed the vehicle after investigators finished measurements and mapping. A store clerk nearby said people inside ducked when they realized there had been a shooting and then stepped outside once officers arrived. A neighbor described a sudden bang followed by the crunch of metal and “kids running,” adding that officers moved bystanders back as paramedics worked quickly to load the teen. Parents arriving home in the area asked officers about detours and how long the street would be closed while investigators continued their work into the evening.
The case remained open late Friday with no suspect information publicly released. Police said updates on the investigation would depend on evidence processing and witness interviews through the weekend.
Author note: Last updated December 6, 2025.