Teen Blows Kiss in Court After Being Accused of Deadly Parking Garage Ambush That Killed 16-Year-Old Boy

A young man accused of taking part in a deadly, retaliatory shooting that claimed the life of a 16-year-old boy appeared in court this week and blew a kiss toward the courtroom gallery after a judge ordered him held on $5 million bail.

Jose Campos, 18, is one of three defendants charged in connection with the fatal shooting of Josiah Midgyett in Tacoma, Washington. Prosecutors allege that a group of armed attackers descended on a parking garage and opened fire on a gathering of people in what investigators believe was a planned act of retaliation.

Campos appeared in court alongside his older brother, Davion Campos, 20, and Davion’s wife, Alina Guillen, 19. All three pleaded not guilty to the charges against them, according to Law&Crime and local media reports.

The courtroom gesture drew attention, but the allegations at the center of the case are far more serious: a teenager is dead, and investigators believe the shooting may have been connected to an earlier confrontation.

Deadly Ambush Inside a Tacoma Parking Garage

The shooting occurred early Sunday at a parking garage on Commerce Street in Tacoma, where a group of people had gathered on the fourth level.

According to prosecutors and information outlined in court documents, as many as five gunmen arrived at the garage and opened fire on the crowd. Several of the alleged attackers were reportedly wearing masks, and investigators said the group appeared to be armed with multiple firearms.

Midgyett was with a group of people when the shooting began. According to the investigation, he was struck in the chest as he tried to get into a vehicle with a friend.

The 16-year-old did not survive.

The shooting left investigators trying to determine why the gathering had become a target and whether the attackers had deliberately gone there looking for Midgyett.

Prosecutors described the incident as a possible planned execution, arguing during the court proceedings that the number of alleged attackers, their weapons and their use of masks suggested a coordinated assault rather than a spontaneous dispute.

Those descriptions represent the prosecution’s allegations. The defendants have pleaded not guilty, and the charges have not been proven in court.

Investigators Suspect the Shooting Was Retaliation

One of the central questions in the case is whether the shooting was connected to an incident the previous night in which Jose Campos reportedly suffered a gunshot wound to his hand.

Deputy prosecuting attorney Lisa Wagner told the court that the injury was a significant detail in the investigation.

Prosecutors said detectives believed the shooting could have been retaliatory, pointing to Campos’ injured arm and surveillance footage that allegedly showed him armed and wearing a mask during the attack.

Court documents obtained by the Tacoma News Tribune also described a tip suggesting that the shooting was connected to the earlier injury.

Investigators are examining the possibility that the confrontation escalated into a deliberate attack on the group gathered at the garage. However, the precise motive and the roles allegedly played by each defendant remain matters for the criminal proceedings.

The possibility of retaliation has become a major focus of the case because it could help explain why multiple armed individuals allegedly arrived together and opened fire on a group of people.

A Text Message May Have Drawn the Victim to the Garage

Investigators have also examined how Midgyett came to be at the parking garage that night.

According to information described in court documents, one of the victim’s friends told police that Midgyett had received a text message from a girl about a planned meetup at the location.

Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding that meeting and whether it was connected to the subsequent violence.

The available reports do not establish that the person who sent the message knew an attack would take place. Nor do they prove that the gathering itself was arranged as a trap.

For investigators, the message is one piece of a larger effort to reconstruct the events leading up to the shooting, determine whether the victim was specifically targeted and establish how the alleged attackers located the group.

The fact that the shooting reportedly involved several armed individuals has made witness accounts and surveillance footage particularly important to the investigation.

Surveillance Footage Helps Police Identify Suspects

Investigators reportedly relied on witness statements, surveillance video and photographs found on social media to identify the defendants.

According to court documents, a photograph on Davion Campos’ Facebook page showed him wearing a blue puffer jacket that police said matched clothing visible in surveillance footage from the night of the shooting.

Investigators also reportedly used social media information to identify Guillen and compare photographs of her with images captured during the incident.

Prosecutors alleged that Jose Campos was also visible in surveillance footage as one of the armed individuals wearing a mask. The bandage on his arm during the court hearing reportedly drew attention because investigators believed he had been shot the previous night.

Authorities have described the evidence as part of the basis for charging the three defendants. The evidence and the allegations against each person will be subject to scrutiny as the case proceeds.

Police also announced that a fourth suspect, a male teenager whose identity was not publicly released in the initial report, had been arrested in connection with the homicide. His arrest indicates that the investigation extends beyond the three adults who appeared in court.

Millions of Dollars in Bail as Victim’s Mother Speaks Out

During Wednesday’s hearing, prosecutors requested substantial bail amounts for the three defendants.

A judge set bail at $5 million for Jose Campos and $5 million for Davion Campos. Guillen’s bail was set at $1.5 million, according to local media reports.

The victim’s mother also addressed the court, expressing her grief over the loss of her son.

“My son didn’t deserve this,” she said, according to reporting by local Fox affiliate KCPQ. “He was a good kid.”

Her statement offered a brief glimpse into the personal cost of the shooting for the family left behind. Midgyett was only 16, and his death has become the focus of a criminal investigation involving multiple suspects and allegations of coordinated gunfire.

The defendants entered not-guilty pleas, and the bail decisions do not constitute findings of guilt.

Serious Charges and a Continuing Investigation

Jose Campos faces charges including first-degree murder, first-degree assault and unlawful possession of a firearm. Davion Campos also faces murder, assault and firearm-related charges, while Guillen has been charged with murder and assault, according to Law&Crime.

Prosecutors allege that the group used illegally modified firearms, including a weapon described as a “Draco,” an AK-style handgun, during the shooting.

Investigators continue to examine the alleged roles of those involved, the possible retaliatory motive and whether additional people participated in the attack.

The case remains ongoing, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

For Midgyett’s family, however, the legal process comes after an irreversible loss. What began as a gathering at a Tacoma parking garage ended with a 16-year-old boy dead and multiple people facing serious criminal charges.

Source: Law&Crime