TACOMA, WA – Today the Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office charged Randy L. Donaldson, 30, with murder in the second degree, assault in the first degree and unlawful possession of a firearm in the first degree. Donaldson is one of two men who allegedly shot and killed Daquan Foster, 22, outside a Tacoma night club.
On October 28, 2017, Daquan Foster; his wife, Olivia Brown; and two friends went to Latitude 84 at 84th and Hosmer in Tacoma for a night out. Also at the club that night were defendant Randy Donaldson and three other men, including co-defendant Marshall Wilson. Wilson was charged with the same crimes last week.
“We don’t know the motive, other than there appeared to be some kind of dispute in the parking lot,” said Prosecutor Mark Lindquist. “Whatever happened, there has to be a better way of resolving a dispute.”
The defendants and their group attracted attention because they were throwing dollar bills into the air, but there is no indication that they had any contact with the victims inside Latitude 84.
At closing time, Foster, Brown, and their friends were in the parking lot walking to their car. Brown was walking ahead of her husband when she heard him say “You just hit my f***ing face.” Ms. Brown turned and saw her husband in an altercation with a man subsequently identified as Marshall Wilson.
Ms. Brown went back to her husband, grabbed him with one hand and raised her other hand to the man and said “Stop.” Donaldson approached Ms. Brown and allegedly pulled out a large handgun. Ms. Brown told officers that she and her husband turned and ran toward their car when the shooting started.
Foster, hit by multiple bullets, did not make it to the car. Emergency paramedics took him to the hospital where he was pronounced dead from the gunshot wounds. Brown was also struck by a bullet in her thumb and was treated at the hospital.
Witnesses reported numerous shots were fired and there were two shooters. Evidence collected at the scene confirmed there was more than one shooter. Police collected thirteen 9mm casings and four .40 caliber casings. The victims were unarmed.
Detectives showed a photo montage to Ms. Brown that included a DOL
photo of Donaldson. She did not identify anyone from the montage, nor exclude anyone. The next day Ms. Brown called the detective back to indicate that Donaldson was the shooter.
Defendant has a prior conviction for a serious offense, assault in the second degree, in King County in 2012.
Bail was set at $1,000,000.00.
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].