Suspect in back-to-back Pierce Co. homicides killed by OR police, sheriff says
A man accused of killing two people in back-to-back Pierce County murders died in a shoot-out with police.
In an X post, Pierce County Sheriff Keith Swank said 24-year-old Hayes McCloud was shot and killed by officers in Seaside, Oregon.
The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page posted an update at 8 p.m. on Wednesday mentioning the encounter in Oregon.
“The suspect has been contacted by police in Seaside Oregon,” the post said. “We are no longer looking for the suspect and details of the contact and major incident that transpired in Oregon will be available once the investigation is concluded.”
McCloud was suspected of killing two people in back-to-back homicides — the first one was at about 2:40 a.m. at a house near Puyallup, The News Tribune previously reported, and the second was at about 3:04 a.m. in Tacoma.
Both victims were adult men. The Sheriff’s Office said both homicides “appear to be targeted” but was not sure of McCloud’s motive.
The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office later named McCloud as the suspect in both homicides and posted a picture of him and a stock photo of his car, saying deputies believed McCloud was armed and dangerous.
In his tweet, Swank said McCloud drove away after the homicide in Tacoma and was spotted on a Flock camera headed south towards Lewis County around 4 a.m.
This story was originally published July 9, 2026 at 7:43 AM with the headline "Suspect in back-to-back Pierce Co. homicides killed by OR police, sheriff says."
