Katie Duhnke was 37 and worked as a bartender at Stars Bar & Grill in Federal Way, Washington. Friends described her as a tough little pitbull who lit up every room; she lived with and worked alongside her best friend and coworker, Jessyca Hohn.

On the morning of May 21, 2023, after closing the bar around 3:30 a.m., Duhnke and Hohn confronted another patron, Samuel Ramirez Jr., in the parking lot after being warned he was carrying a gun. The confrontation escalated and Ramirez allegedly opened fire. Duhnke was shot once in the head and died at the scene; Hohn was also shot multiple times and killed. A 25-year-old male customer was wounded in the arm but survived. Ramirez fled and was later charged in connection with the killings.