Leroy Tinoga, 26, of Kent, the married father of two young children, was killed in the shooting and vehicle crash incident June 16 on the East Hill in Kent.
The family of Tinoga released his identity with the posting of a GoFundMe account.
“The family is grieving the heartbreaking and unexpected loss of a father, a son, a brother’s life taken far too soon,” wrote Abbee Delos-Reyes, of Kent, a close friend of the family, on GoFundMe. “On June 16, 2025, Leroy’s life was taken from us in a tragic and senseless act. He was driving home from the store and was shot in broad daylight. Due to the severity of his injuries, he didn’t make it.”
Officers responded at about 2:32 p.m. June 16 to the area of SE 240th Street and 108th Avenue SE after multiple 911 calls to report a male bleeding from the head in a vehicle that had collided with other vehicles, according to a Kent Police news release.
Upon arrival, officers were told by witnesses that the injured man was inside his vehicle, and they believed he had been shot, according to police. Firefighters had to extricate Tinoga from his locked car. Due to the severity of his injuries, CPR and other lifesaving measures were taken, but Tinoga died at the scene.
A 28-year-old Kent man is a suspect in the shooting, according to police. He remained on the scene and surrendered his firearm. He is cooperating with the investigation. The circumstances leading up to the shooting were not immediately clear, according to police. Nobody else was injured during the incident.
As of Wednesday evening, June 18, police have not released any further details about the shooting. The King County Medical Examiner’s Office has not yet released Tinoga’s identification or his cause and manner of death.
“Shocking,” Angelica Fesili, of Kent, said in a phone interview June 18 about the death of her younger brother. “Most of all, I’m still in denial.”
Fesili said her brother had lived in Kent for about four years.
Survivors include his wife and two young children, a 3-year-old and an 11-month-old.
“Leroy was kindhearted, he may be quiet and introverted, but he is a good brother and uncle, he is the favorite of the family, and he is a very good father to his two young children,” according to the GoFundMe posting.
Delos-Reyes wrote she started the fund to get the community and families to support the family of Tinoga.
“The entire family are experiencing loss no parent, wife, children, or siblings should ever go through,” Delos-Reyes wrote. “He and his wife, Faagalu, has two wonderful and beautiful children, Kendrick and Kameron Tinoga. They are way too young to understand that their father is not coming back home. Their kids are calling out for their papa and have no idea what had happened to their father.”
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