Two employees of the United States Postal Service (USPS) are dead in an incident that occurred at a USPS processing and distribution center in Tukwila, Washington, on the afternoon of March 4, 2025. Investigators say that a shooting happened after an argument between coworkers.
Reports of a shooting at the 10700 block of 27th Avenue South were responded to by Tukwila police just before 4 p.m. On arrival, a male postal worker, identified as 27-year-old Edward Poloka, was found with a gunshot wound.
Upon finding the victim, the officers “immediately began rendering aid until fire and medic personnel arrived and took over life-saving efforts,” as stated by the Tukwila Police Department.
Despite the immediate medical attention, Poloka’s injuries proved to be fatal. He was declared dead at the scene.
The incident reportedly took place in the loading dock area of the facility. Ninie Caliste, a truck driver who was at the scene, reported hearing gunshots at around 4 p.m. and seeing people running out of the warehouse. He realized a shooting had occurred and quickly left the scene.
Law enforcement launched a manhunt for the shooter, a 33-year-old USPS employee, who escaped from the scene immediately after the incident. Police later found the suspect in Seattle’s South Park neighborhood in a vehicle.
“The suspect shot himself as officers moved in to detain him,” disclosed Postal Inspector John Wiegand. Although the suspect was taken to Harborview Medical Center, he later succumbed to his self-inflicted injuries.
The Major Crimes Unit of the Tukwila Police Department is investigating the sequence of events that led to the fatal encounter. Preliminary findings suggest the two USPS workers knew each other prior to the incident.
The incident has caused a stir among the local USPS community and temporarily disrupted the operations of the facility, a key mail processing hub for the region.
In a conversation with KIRO 7, Poloka’s family remembered him as a loving, grounded, and friendly man. Two of Poloka’s sisters also work at the same facility.
His sister Amata recounted how she would often check on him during work. His other sister, Alice, shared that he would drive her to work and they would often have meals together after their shifts.
Following the shooting, USPS officials suspended mail processing operations on Tuesday night. This resulted in delivery delays in some regions on Wednesday.
The USPS has been striving to strengthen its workplace violence prevention measures. It has systems in place to identify, report, and manage potential workplace disputes before they escalate to violence.
The USPS Office of Inspector General’s report states that the Postal Service has a comprehensive program to address employee assaults, including case investigations and necessary administrative actions. However, the report also highlights areas needing improvement, such as better incident recording and use of threat assessment teams for prevention measures.
With over 650,000 employees nationwide, USPS is one of the largest civilian employers in the United States. The Tukwila facility is one of many mail processing and distribution centers responsible for sorting and delivering mail.
The US Postal Inspection Service, USPS’s law enforcement division, is aiding local authorities with the investigation. The agency investigates incidents involving postal employees and facilities.
