Tumwater man killed in grocery store parking lot in 'seemingly unprovoked shooting'

OLYMPIA, Wash. — A man was killed in what deputies called a "seemingly unprovoked shooting" in asupermarket parking lot inThurston County on Saturday evening.

According to the Thurston County Sheriff's Office, a man called 911 from the parking lot of the WinCo in the7500 block of Martin Way East in Olympia around 10:15 p.m. reporting he found his brother dead with multiple gunshot wounds inside the car. About 45 minutes later, after deputies put out an attempt to locate the suspect, a Lacey Police Department officer found the man walking on Martin Way East and arrested him without incident.

Deputies said a search warrant for the suspect's backpack was obtained and a 9mm pistol and ammunition were found inside. It doesn't appear the victim and suspect were connected in any way, deputies said.

Surveillance footage showed the suspect — who charging documents identified as John Nguyen, 23, of Olympia — in the WinCo parking lot at the time of the shooting, according to Thurston County deputies. While the video did not show the shooting, deputies said it revealedNguyen walking away from the driver's side area of the car afterward.

The victim was identified as Ronald Taufaasee, a 26-year-old Tumwater man. Taufaasee's brother said the two went to WinCo to buy groceries and Ronald stayed in the car.

“I was like, ‘Come, on Ronald, come on, man,’" said Ronald Taufaasee's brother, Benjamin. "I look at his face, and there was just blood gushing down."

Nguyen was booked into Thurston County Jail and charged with one count of murder in the first degree and one count of murder in the second degree. His preliminary hearing was held on Monday and the court granted the state's motion to holdNguyen without bail. His arraignment hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Oct. 4.

The victim’s family was in court and addressed the judge.

“It’s not fair that we get to see him in court enjoying another day and we haven’t seen Ronald since Saturday,” said Ronald's sister, Anna Petelo Moetala. “I want justice.”

“I want a life sentence because I can’t get him back,” Benjamin Taufaasee added.

One witness told authorities she heard five or six shots before calling 911, then heard more afterward. She said she saw a man walking down the stairs behind WinCo before firing a handgun. He then disappeared behind the wall, and the witness heard more gunshots, she told deputies.

Deputies gaveTaufaasee CPR upon their arrival, and medics assisted, but he was declared dead after a few minutes, according to charging documents.

The charging documents also state when Nguyen was inside the patrol car after being arrested, he yelled obscenities and threatened to kill officers on the scene, and their families and burn their houses.

A GoFundMe fundraiser has been set up to helpTaufaasee's family with funeral expenses.

* KOMO News' Tammy Mutasa contributed to this story.