Suspect Confesses to Shooting Man in Lakewood Apartment After Alleged 'Slap Boxing' Match Over Gang Affiliation

UPDATE 11 a.m.

OUTSIDE SEATTLE -- The suspect has been identified by police as 32-year-old William Horton Jr., who confessed to killing a 29-year-old man around 3 a.m. Wednesday morning.

The victim has not been identified.

Horton Jr. told Lakewood Police he and the victim were acquaintances and members of different street gangs--the victim being a reported Crip gangster and the suspect a self-admitted Gangster Disciple from Chicago.

The suspect and victim were hanging out at the apartment of a mutual friend at Williamsburg Apartments when they got into a heated discussion regarding whose gang was better.

The discussion turned into a match of “slap boxing," where the victim was getting the better of the suspect. It turned into a physical match and the suspect got tired of fighting, pulled out a handgun from his waistband and shot the victim.

The third person in the apartment was not in the room when the shooting occurred, but did witness the fighting and heard the shots.

The suspect dragged the victim out into the parking lot and was later taken into custody by the responding patrol units. The weapon has been recovered and the victim is in the custody of the Pierce County Medical Examiner for an autopsy. Horton Jr. was booked into the Pierce County Jail for Murder 2.

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ORIGINAL STORY

A 29-year-old man is dead following a shooting early today in Lakewood.

Lakewood Police arrested the shooter, who came running out of a nearby apartment and was allegedly yelling at the victim when authorities first arrived.

Shortly after 3 a.m., police received a 911 call of two gunshots fired at the Williamsburg Apartments in the 11200 block of Bridgeport Way Southwest, near St. Clare Hospital.

The caller told dispatchers that a man was dragging another man into a parking lot at the apartments. Officers arrived at the scene, approached on foot and could see a body lying in the parking lot.

As the officers moved up, the suspect came running out of an apartment and allegedly approached the body with a handgun. The suspect yelled at the victim that he was going to kill him. Patrol officers ordered the suspect to drop the gun and get to the ground. The suspect complied and was taken into custody.

Police requested medical aid for the victim, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. Police are not identifying the victim until it makes all next of kin notifications. They have confirmed that he is a 29-year-old male. The suspect is being interviewed but has already admitted he was the shooter. It is unknown at this time what the motive is for the shooting.

Homicide detectives and forensic personnel are on scene conducting the investigation.