5 Suspects Arrested; 1 To Go, Lakewood Police Say

LAKEWOOD, WA - Thomas Earl Cooper, Jr., the Oregon gang member who was arrested in Portland Monday, is reportedly the fifth suspect tied to a massive shootout and homicide investigation in Lakewood, according to Lakewood police officials.

Cooper was arrested on misdemeanor gun charges at a 24 Hour Fitness facility Feb. 18. It's still unclear when he'll be extradited back to Washington.

Lakewood PD spokesman Lt. Chris Lawler told Patch only one suspect connected to the October 2018 incident remains outstanding.

Cooper is accused of being present during a gang-style shooting that left three people injured and one person dead at the New World VIP Lounge in Lakewood just before 1:30 a.m. Oct. 21. Cooper and the other five suspects were all identified as members of the 74 Hoover Crips, a Portland area gang, Lawler said.

Roughly 20 shots were reportedly fired by three shooters in the club's parking lot that night. The shooting was said to have followed a fight that began in the club and spilled into the parking lot.

The man who was killed — 28-year-old Seattle resident and father of three, Terrance King — wasn't even involved in the fight, police said, noting he was shot in the back. King was only at the club to pick up his girlfriend Natosha Jackson, who was finishing her bartending shift when the shooting occurred, police said.

The first suspect arrested, 30-year-old Monroe James Ezell, was picked up in Tacoma on Halloween, 10 days after the shooting.

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Image via Lakewood Police Department