On the evening of December 5, 2023, a dispute at the Aero Apartments in the 9300 block of South Ash Street in Tacoma, Washington, left 27-year-old Lane Gouker dead. Gouker, who was from Spanaway, had gone to an apartment where he had previously lived with an ex-girlfriend to retrieve belongings. An argument followed and Gouker reportedly kicked at the apartment door. A man emerged from a bedroom and fired multiple shots, and witnesses heard gunfire and screaming. Gouker was privately taken to a hospital and later died of multiple gunshot wounds; the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the death a homicide.

Tacoma Police identified 24-year-old Keith Eldon Covey as a suspect and arrested him on December 7, 2023. Covey, who was subleasing the apartment, was charged with two counts of second-degree murder and one count of second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm; court records show prior felony convictions that prohibit him from possessing firearms. Investigators noted a reported altercation on November 22 in which Gouker allegedly threatened apartment residents, and a resident told detectives Covey had said he would shoot Gouker if he tried to enter again. Covey pleaded not guilty and bail was set at $1.5 million.

If anyone knew Lane Gouker, his movements that night, or has information about the dispute at the Aero Apartments, please share what you know.