Homicide near Graham: Pierce County deputies investigating after man shot in a back yard

Pierce County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a homicide Thursday morning after a man was shot and killed in the back yard of a Graham residence.

Few details were immediately available. In a tweet, the Sheriff’s Department said detectives were at the scene in the 24500 block of 62nd Avenue Court East, a residential neighborhood about a half-mile from Graham. Deputies responded just before 9 a.m. after a 911 caller reported her boyfriend had been shot, a spokesperson said.

Arriving deputies found the victim in a shed with a gunshot wound. Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Sgt. Darren Moss said fire department personnel responded and declared the man dead.

It’s unclear what led to the shooting. Moss said there were other people inside the home when the shooting occurred, but no one appeared to have witnessed it. The victim has not been identified. Deputies said whoever shot the man fled in a vehicle.

The killing is the sixth homicide to occur across all of Pierce County so far this year. That includes Tacoma, which has recorded four.

This is a developing story. Check back later for updates.