On the night of July 14, 2023, 26-year-old Darnell Wakai Pluff was fatally shot in Spokane, Washington. Pluff, a member of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, was seated against a coffee stand on North Division Street near Franklin Park just before 11:30 p.m. when a man approached and fired a single shot to his head. Witnesses said three men had been standing over Pluff, appearing joking and in good spirits moments before the shooting; the group fled north on Division Street after the shot. Pluff was found with gunshot wounds to his head and neck and was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators reported no shell casings were recovered.

Surveillance footage from a nearby bank showed two men in the area around the time of the killing and captured one man approaching Pluff before the shot. Law enforcement identified 42-year-old Jose M. Matthews from that video with assistance from a woman who recognized him. The other individuals seen with Matthews have not been publicly identified. If anyone was in the area that night or has information about the people seen on the footage, please come forward.