An incident of gun violence took place at a United States Postal Service (USPS) processing and distribution center in Tukwila, Washington, on March 4, 2025, where two postal employees lost their lives. The events unfolded after an alleged disagreement between coworkers.
Reports of the shooting at the 10700 block of 27th Avenue South reached Tukwila police officers just before 4 p.m. On their arrival, they found a male USPS worker, later identified as 27-year-old Edward Poloka, with a gunshot injury.
“[Officers] immediately began rendering aid until fire and medic personnel arrived and took over life-saving efforts,” stated the Tukwila Police Department.
Despite the immediate response and life-saving efforts, Poloka did not survive his injury and was declared dead at the scene.
Reports suggest that the shooting occurred in the loading dock area of the facility. Ninie Caliste, a truck driver at the scene, recalled hearing gunshots around 4 p.m., followed by people rushing out of the warehouse. An unknown individual confirmed to him that a shooting had taken place.
The alleged shooter, a 33-year-old USPS employee, left the scene shortly after the incident. The suspect was later located by the police in a vehicle in the South Park neighborhood of Seattle.
Postal Inspector John Wiegand reported, “The suspect shot himself as officers moved in to detain him.” The suspect was transported to Harborview Medical Center in critical condition where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Investigators from the Tukwila Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit are currently working to understand the events that led to this tragic incident. Preliminary findings indicate that the two postal workers were acquainted prior to the shooting.
The incident has temporarily halted operations at the facility, causing disruptions in the region’s mail processing. The facility is a critical hub for mail processing in the area.
In an interview with KIRO 7, Poloka’s family remembered him as a caring, down-to-earth man. Two of his sisters work at the same facility.
“I’d go to work and I’d be able to walk the floor and go check up on him. See if he had food,” his sister Amata said. His other sister, Alice, shared that they would often commute and dine together after their shifts.
USPS officials have confirmed a temporary suspension of mail processing operations after the shooting, which resulted in delivery interruptions in certain areas the following day.
The USPS has been striving to improve its workplace violence prevention programs to identify, report, and address potential workplace conflicts before they escalate. The USPS Office of Inspector General has acknowledged the need for improvements in these programs, such as better record-keeping of incidents and more effective use of threat assessment teams.
The USPS, one of America’s largest civilian employers with over 650,000 workers, operates numerous processing and distribution centers like the one in Tukwila nationwide. The US Postal Inspection Service, the USPS’s law enforcement branch, is aiding local authorities with the ongoing investigation.
