3rd Tacoma Homicide of 2023: Javon Gipson
There are some homicides where very little information is released to the public. Sometimes this is because that information is being used in the ongoing investigation. Sometimes it’s because the detectives have very little information to share. Whatever the case, what I can tell you about the last morning of 47-year-old Javon Gipson’s life is that at 1:44am on January 22, 2023 someone called 911 reporting shots fired in an apartment near the 100 block of St. Helens. First responders arrived on the scene and took Javon to a local hospital where he later died.
Like the police, I am unable to tell you at this time who killed Javon or why. The events surrounding his death are a mystery that will hopefully be solved soon. If you have any information on this homicide, you are encouraged to contact Pierce County CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or the Tacoma Police Department at (253) 287-4455.
What I can tell you about Javon is that he could be really funny, but that wasn’t a side of himself that he showed everybody. He loved being a father. Some people called him ‘Bird’. Javon worked giving rides to pilots and flight crews at the airport. He loved hearing their stories of their travels.
Almost a year and a half later, I can tell you that his family and friends still miss him and feel his absence.
Of course, I did not know Javon. His family and friends did. I encourage them to share thoughts and memories of Javon in the comment section.
- Jack Cameron