TACOMA, WA – Today the Pierce County Prosecutor’s office arraigned Yancy Wade Ray, 50, on one count of second degree murder for the death of Hyson Sabb, 41. Ray is also charged with one count of first degree unlawful possession of a firearm.
“The defendant decided to solve an argument with a handgun,” said Prosecutor Mark Lindquist. “Now one man is dead and the defendant could spend the rest of his life in prison.”
On September 3, 2016, a shooting was reported in the 1500 block of S. L. St. in the city of Tacoma.
Patrol officers arrived at that location and found a 41 year old black man, later identified as Hyson J. Sabb, in the front yard suffering from a gunshot wound. Emergency medical personnel transported Sabb to a nearby hospital where he died a short time later.
In the street in front of the yard where Mr. Sabb was located was a white Lexus sedan. It was parked in the middle of the block with the door open and the engine running. That vehicle was registered to Yancy W. Ray. There were four 9mm shell casings and one live 9mm round in the front yard of the house. Investigators found a 9mm handgun in the bushes along the south side of the house.
Witnesses say the argument was over a woman and that Ray left, then returned a short time later and opened fire, killing Mr. Sabb.
Ray turned himself in to Pierce County Deputies. Bail is set at $2,000,000.00
Charges are only allegations and a person is presumed innocent unless he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
For more information, please contact James Lynch at (253) 798-6265, [email protected].