Police Ask for Help Finding Suspected Emerald Queen Casino Murderer

The US Marshals Service led the Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force (PNVOTF), and the Tacoma Police Department (TPD) are seeking the public’s help in locating 29-year-old Elijah Dominick Hylton. He is suspected of murdering Ty Jenkins, a rival gang member at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Washington, in August 2020.

Suspect in Emerald Queen Casino Homicide Still at Large

According to authorities, the incident took place around 10 pm on August 8, 2020, after a confrontation on the gaming floor. Surveillance footage captures the suspect leaving the casino, shooting the victim, and then fleeing the scene in a red Toyota Corolla. An arrest warrant for first-degree murder was issued for Hylton in January 2023.

Police identified the Emerald Queen Casino shooter through security footage, noting he wore four large rings on his left hand. These details matched images of the suspect found on social media. Shortly after the shooting, a man matching Hylton’s description pawned the rings at a local shop. Authorities later recovered them as evidence. Hylton is described as approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighing around 160 pounds, with brown hair and hazel eyes. Investigators believe he may still be in the Puget Sound area, but have not ruled out the possibility that he has fled.

Police consider him dangerous and potentially armed. The public is advised not to approach him. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is urged to call 911, contact the US Marshals at 1-877-WANTED-2 (1-877-926-8332), or reach out to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

What Have Police Found Out So Far?

In 2022, deputies arrested David Sekou Sebowa Ward, Hylton’s brother, who was 29 at the time and suspected of acting as the getaway driver. Authorities report that Ward has been charged with first-degree murder and remains in custody awaiting trial.

Furthermore, during a search of Jenkins’ vehicle, officers found a 9 mm pistol and a rifle. According to police, ballistics tests showed that the pistol had been used in at least four prior shootings in the area, including another homicide. Investigators believe Jenkins was the target of a robbery connected to a gun sale earlier that year, in which Hylton is suspected to have been involved.

In July 2020, two men were shot in what authorities believe was a retaliatory attack related to that robbery. Shell casings recovered at the scene matched those fired from Jenkins’ 9 mm pistol, indicating he may have been involved. This also raises the hypothesis that the alleged murderer, Hylton, shot Jenkins in retaliation.