9th Tacoma Homicide of 2023: Larry 'Trae' Marshall, III
There are people who walk through a door and somehow instantly improve the mood of the whole room. That’s the kind of person 16-year-old Larry Marshall, III was. Larry, who went by Trae with his friends, was a natural athlete who played football on his high school team and had plans to play in college, maybe even one day in the NFL. He also talked about maybe being a cop or an electrician or an elevator guy. The possibilities of a bright young man at the age of sixteen are nearly endless.
On the afternoon of March 29, 2023, Trae was on his way to one of his friends’ apartments at Lakeside Landing, an apartment complex in the 1400 block of South Mildred Street across the street from Tacoma Community College. Surveillance video shows a Dodge Charger pulling into the parking lot of the apartment complex and three individuals getting out and running off camera. Shortly after there are multiple gunshots heard. Thirty-three shell casings would later be found at the scene. Directly after the shooting the three return to the Charger and quickly drive away.
Trae was still alive when first responders arrived despite having been shot multiple times. He was transported to a local hospital where he later died of his injuries becoming the ninth Tacoma homicide of 2023. He’s also the fourth Tacoma homicide victim this year under the age of 18.
Police eventually caught up to Trae’s killers and charged all three of them with his death.
Charging papers allege that the shooting was a retaliation for a robbery of one of the shooters two weeks earlier that Trae had absolutely nothing to do with. The alleged perpetrators of the robbery were two people Trae knew.
It’s impossible to know just how much we lost when Trae was murdered. His potential was obvious to everyone who knew him. And now his family is dealing with his unexpected loss. They set up a GoFundMe that is still active. I’m certain any support would help.
The comment section is reserved for those who knew Trae and want to share thoughts or memories of him.
- Jack Cameron