Deadly Tacoma shooting stemmed from petty dispute, court records show
Nicholas Morris James Miller, 26, has been charged with first-degree murder, first-degree attempted murder, second-degree assault and first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm for the April 27 incident, according to court records.
A man was killed and a woman injured, Tacoma police say.
A plea of not guilty was entered on Miller's behalf during his arraignment Thursday afternoon. Pierce County Superior Court Judge TaTeasha Davis set a $2 million bail. Davis prohibited the media from taking photos of Miller's face.
Several members of the victim's family were present during the hearing. The victim's aunt addressed the court, saying her nephew was 'doing great' before he was killed and tried to deescalate the situation.
Deputy prosecuting attorney Dalton Smith said the facts of the case were 'highly alarming.'
'The violence in this case was senseless. It was unnecessary, and it was simply tragic,' he said.
The victim's identity has not been publicly released, pending confirmation from the Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office.
Officers were dispatched to the 4800 block of East Q Street for a shooting. A gray 2009 Mercedes was parked on the side of the street where one of the passengers was standing and holding a man in the driver's seat who had been shot, according to charging documents.
Police began medical aid on the injured man. A woman sitting in the front passenger seat had been shot several times in her legs, documents show. They were both taken to a hospital where the man died.
Both of the passengers in the car told police that 'Quicc' was the shooter. Documents show that 'Quicc' was identified as Miller.
The victim that held up the man told officers she had been in the backseat of the car. Miller drove up while they were at a smoke shop nearby, and they all had a cordial conversation, prosecutors wrote. Miller recognized the woman in the front seat and told the man to pull over down the road.
Miller was mad over a comment the woman made on social media, according to the backseat passenger. The woman who had been shot later told police the confrontation happened due to a falling out with two women she knew.
When they were all parked, Miller left his car to approach the woman, documents show. The man got out of the car and blocked Miller from getting to the woman. Miller allegedly reached into his cross-body bag after he exchanged words with the man.
Documents show that Miller initially backed off, and the man got back into the driver's seat, but then the defendant allegedly came up to the window and pointed a gun at the backseat passenger. Miller then allegedly shot the man several times, then shot the woman in the front seat. He got back into his car and drove off.
Lakewood police helped Tacoma detectives find Miller and arrest him outside of an apartment complex, documents show. Prosecutors noted that in a photo from March 1, Miller had 'dreadlocks' in his hair, but during his arrest Tuesday, his hair was shaved off.
Miller denied being in Tacoma during the shooting. He said that the man was more of a friend to his brothers, but he knew him and they did not hang out, prosecutors wrote. Miller claimed he did not know the woman who had been shot and said he had not owned a gun in many years.
'Nicholas consistently denied being involved in the homicide, would or could not provide information about the people he said he had been with or could verify things he was telling us,' documents say.
Miller also told police he had a twin brother, then a young brother who looked like him, documents show.
A cross-body bag was found in the residence Miller was staying at. Investigators allegedly found a loaded firearm inside of the bag.
Prosecutors wrote that Miller has two active cases in Pierce County Superior Court. In November 2024, he posted a $45,000 bond for second-degree assault. He also has prior convictions dating back to when he was a teenager for second-degree assault in 2011 and residential burglary in 2015.
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