Police arrest a man on suspicion of murder who was found fatally shot on the Pierce County trail

Peter Talbot / The News Tribune (TNS)

Tacoma police arrested a man suspected of murder on Friday. This was the death of a 21-year-old who was found fatally shot earlier this year on a trail that runs along State Route 16 behind Cheney Stadium.

Tacoma police announced the arrest Saturday morning and said the suspect was booked into the Pierce County Jail on suspicion of first-degree murder in the July 20 death of Aidan Schmidt.

Schmidt was found shot in the chest and arm early in the morning after officers responded to Scott Pierson Trail near the 1900 block of South Mullen Street around 1:30 a.m. for a report that someone had been shot be. Police said officers performed life-saving measures until Tacoma Fire Department arrived, but the man died from his injuries.

Police have not said what led to the shooting.

Investigators found probable cause to arrest a suspect on Thursday and were able to locate and take him into custody Friday evening with the help of a homeless outreach team, according to a news release.

The suspect is a 37-year-old man who has seven felony convictions, according to Pierce County jail and court records. None of the previous convictions involved violent crimes.

The News Tribune generally does not name people suspected of crimes until they have been formally charged.

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