On the evening of July 28, 2021, gunfire erupted in a department store parking lot in the South Hill area of Puyallup, Washington. Sixteen-year-old Franklin Kiraba Thananga, known as Duce, was found with multiple gunshot wounds in the 16910 block of Meridian Avenue East and was pronounced dead at the scene after first responders arrived around 10:20 p.m.

Friends and family remember Franklin as a basketball fan who enjoyed video games and spending time with his younger siblings and cousins. Investigators recovered twelve shell casings and five fired bullets at the scene; several bullets were located underneath Franklin’s chest, which was reported to indicate he may have been on the ground when shot multiple times. Witnesses described a person fleeing the area after the shots.

Investigators identified 16-year-old Lajaeveon Maurice Simon, described as a friend of Thananga, as a suspect. Simon turned himself in and was arrested in early August 2021 and was charged as an adult with first- and second-degree murder. Charging documents suggest a possible motive was an attempt to steal a gun from Thananga; Simon pleaded not guilty and bail was set at $1 million. If anyone knew Franklin, was at the parking lot that night, or has information about the shooting, please come forward.