36th Tacoma Homicide of 2022: Gregory Hughes
At a little after two in the morning on October 9, 2022 fifty-one-year-old Gregory Hughes stepped out of one of the Fern Hill Terrace Apartments in the 200 block of South 80th Street and lit up a smoke. He was staying with a friend and coworker. He worked in carpentry and contracting. Always the guy to call if you needed something fixed. Charging documents later stated that about twenty minutes after Gregory stepped out his friend heard someone yell, “I live here! I live here!” This was quickly followed by five gunshots.
First responders attempted to save Gregory’s life, but he died on the scene becoming Tacoma’s 36th Tacoma homicide of 2022. This is the first of two homicides within a day of each other and only blocks apart though there seems to be no connection between the two.
Surveillance video and witnesses who saw Gregory’s killer leaving the scene quickly identified a thirty-five-year-old who was arrested and charged with Gregory’s murder.
There is no known connection between Gregory and his killer. It’s likely we’ll never know what exactly motivated this crime. All too often when writing about these homicides, they start in the early hours of the morning and end with a deadly disagreement. The only sure thing about the murder of Gregory Hughes is that it didn’t need to happen.
Everyone has that person in the family who holds things together, making sure family gatherings happen and keeping in touch. For his family, Gregory Hughes was that relative. His nickname was “Pooh”. He graduated from Stadium High School and spent most of his life in Tacoma. He worked as a carpenter and handyman. He spent a lot of time with his nine children. He had a lot more life to live.
Friends and relatives are encouraged to share thoughts and memories of Gregory in the comment section.
- Jack Cameron
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