A shooting at a United States Postal Service (USPS) processing and distribution center in Tukwila, Washington on Tuesday afternoon, March 4, 2025, has left two postal employees dead following what investigators believe was an altercation between coworkers.
Tukwila police officers responded to reports of a shooting in the 10700 block of 27th Avenue South just before 4 p.m. Upon arrival, they discovered a male postal worker suffering from a gunshot wound. He has been identified as 27-year-old Edward Poloka.
“[Officers] immediately began rendering aid until fire and medic personnel arrived and took over life-saving efforts,” according to the Tukwila Police Department.
Despite these efforts, Poloka succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to reports, the incident occurred in the facility’s loading dock area. Truck driver Ninie Caliste, who was present, witnessed the chaotic scene. He recounted arriving at around 4 o’clock and hearing gunshots ring out. Shortly after, people began running out of the warehouse, leading him to assume there was a shooting taking place. He quickly left the scene and asked someone what had happened. The individual told him, “Somebody got shot in there!”
The shooter, 33, who was also a USPS employee, fled the scene immediately after the incident, prompting a search by law enforcement. Hours later, police located the suspect in a vehicle in Seattle’s South Park neighborhood.
According to Postal Inspector John Wiegand, “The suspect shot himself as officers moved in to detain him.” The suspect was rushed to Harborview Medical Center in critical condition but later died from his injuries.
Investigators from the Tukwila Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit have been piecing together the events that led to the deadly confrontation. Early findings suggest that the two postal workers knew each other before the shooting.
The violence has sent shockwaves through the local postal community, temporarily disrupting operations at the facility, which serves as a crucial hub for mail processing in the region.
Poloka’s family shared memories of him with KIRO 7. They described him as a goofy, down-to-earth, caring man. Two of Poloka’s sisters work 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 sister Alice said he was her ride to work and they would often eat out after their shifts ended.
USPS officials confirmed that mail processing operations were suspended Tuesday night following the shooting. The temporary shutdown resulted in delivery interruptions for some areas on Wednesday.
This shooting comes at a time when the Postal Service has been working to enhance its workplace violence prevention programs. The USPS has established systems to identify, report, and address potential workplace conflicts before they escalate to violence.
According to a report from the USPS Office of Inspector General, the Postal Service maintains a comprehensive program designed to address employee assaults. This program includes investigating cases and implementing administrative actions when necessary.
However, the same report identified areas for improvement in the program, including better recording of workplace violence incidents in tracking systems and more effective use of threat assessment teams to review incidents and develop preventive measures.
The USPS employs over 650,000 workers nationwide, making it one of America’s largest civilian employers. The Tukwila processing and distribution center is one of many such facilities nationwide responsible for sorting and routing mail for delivery.
The USPS’s law enforcement arm, the US Postal Inspection Service, is assisting local authorities with the investigation. The agency is responsible for investigating incidents involving postal employees and facilities.
