Just an hour before his 18th birthday, 17-year-old Noah Keith Bagby was fatally shot near his Auburn, Washington, home on July 3, 2024. He and his sister, Mizanna Journee, were returning from watching fireworks just after 11 p.m. when two individuals approached them in the 1700 block of K Street Northeast. According to his sister, the pair asked questions and then opened fire; Journee witnessed Noah being struck multiple times and falling to the ground. Their mother, who had been inside the nearby house, initially thought the sounds were fireworks before realizing what had happened and rushing out to hold her son as first responders performed life-saving measures. Noah was pronounced dead at the scene; the King County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the death a homicide from multiple gunshot wounds.

Auburn police describe the shooting as targeted and recovered 32 shell casings, bullet fragments, and articles of clothing from the parking lot. No arrests have been announced and officials have not released an official suspect description; Noah’s sister said the suspects appeared to be teenagers. Noah had graduated from Auburn Mountainview High School two weeks earlier and planned to study HVAC at a technical college. If anyone has information about what happened that night, please contact the Auburn Police Department.