Independent investigators are reviewing the shooting after police said the man pointed a weapon at officers responding to reports of an armed person.
FEDERAL WAY, Wash. — Federal Way police fatally shot a man outside The Commons mall Thursday evening after officers said he pointed a weapon at them as they responded to several reports of a man with a gun in the shopping center’s parking lot.
The encounter began around 6:40 p.m. Sept. 10, when multiple people called 911 to report an armed man pointing a gun at people outside the mall, according to the Federal Way Police Department. One caller told dispatchers the man appeared to be waiting for police to arrive. The Commons is near Pacific Highway South and South 320th Street in Federal Way.
Officers arrived a short time later and attempted to contact the man, police said. According to the department’s preliminary account, the man pointed a weapon at officers during the encounter. Officers then opened fire and struck him. Authorities had not released the number of officers who fired or the number of shots discharged as of Friday.
Officers and medical personnel provided emergency aid after the shooting, but the man died from his injuries. His identity had not been released. Police described him as a white man believed to be in his 20s or 30s. Authorities also had not released additional details about the weapon or publicly identified the officers involved.
No officers or bystanders were injured, police said. Authorities initially told the public there was no continuing threat but asked people to avoid the area while investigators examined the scene. The shooting prompted a large police response at the shopping center Thursday night.
The officers involved were placed on administrative leave under department policy. Such leave is a standard step following many police shootings and does not by itself determine whether an officer acted lawfully or violated policy. The Federal Way Police Department said it would not investigate the actions of its own officers in the case.
The Valley Independent Investigation Team is leading the investigation. The regional team is made up largely of law enforcement agencies in south King County and investigates qualifying uses of deadly force independently of the agency involved. King County officials say members of an involved police department cannot participate in the independent investigation of their own officers.
Washington law requires an independent investigation when police use of deadly force results in death or certain serious injuries. Investigators typically gather physical evidence, review available recordings and interview witnesses before the case can move through any additional prosecutorial review. An independent investigation does not itself indicate that an officer committed wrongdoing.
Federal Way police said the information released after Thursday’s shooting was preliminary and could change as investigators develop additional evidence. The man’s name, further details about the weapon and the sequence immediately before officers fired remained unreleased Friday. The Valley Independent Investigation Team is expected to provide future updates as the investigation continues.
Author note: Last updated September 11, 2026.