{"id":26885,"date":"2026-05-03T08:02:07","date_gmt":"2026-05-03T08:02:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/gloria-choi-rickman-murder\/"},"modified":"2026-05-03T08:02:07","modified_gmt":"2026-05-03T08:02:07","slug":"gloria-choi-rickman-murder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/gloria-choi-rickman-murder\/","title":{"rendered":"Washington mother’s final 911 call before fatal shooting"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Lead:<\/strong> On Jan. 2, 2022, Gloria Choi placed a frantic 911 call in Lakewood, Washington, saying her boyfriend was following her and that “he’s got a gun.” Seconds later multiple shots were fired; Choi was extricated by first responders and pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. Investigators tied the attack to a pattern of stalking and harassment and ultimately charged Billy Rickman, who was convicted of aggravated first-degree murder in November 2023 and sentenced to life without parole. As of May 2026 the Choi family has filed a wrongful-death suit alleging police missteps before the killing.<\/p>\n

Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n
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  • Date and location: The shooting occurred on Jan. 2, 2022, on a roadway near Lakewood, Washington, and was captured in part by a 911 audio recording.<\/li>\n
  • Shots fired: Prosecutors say the attacker fired nine .40-caliber rounds through Choi’s driver’s-side door and window, then returned and fired five more rounds, a total of 14 shots; Choi was hit at least 10 times.<\/li>\n
  • Suspect and arrest: Investigators identified Billy Rickman through a motel lanyard, surveillance and phone records; he was arrested in northern California on Jan. 6\u20137, 2022 and charged with aggravated first-degree murder.<\/li>\n
  • Evidence: Prosecutors relied on the 911 audio, multiple surveillance videos, GPS\/phone data and surveillance from a car-rental office to place Rickman at or near the scene.<\/li>\n
  • Prior warnings: Choi had reported repeated stalking, a no-contact order was issued Dec. 1, 2021, and she filed at least four reports about harassment and property damage in the 48 hours before her death.<\/li>\n
  • Criminal outcome: A jury found Rickman guilty in November 2023; he received life imprisonment without parole.<\/li>\n
  • Civil action: The Choi family filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the City of Lakewood and its police department; the suit remained unresolved as of May 2026.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Background<\/h2>\n

    Gloria Choi met Billy Rickman in May 2021 after he checked into a hotel where she worked. The relationship escalated quickly: within weeks they were together and he began staying in her apartment. Friends and family say early charm gave way to controlling behavior, substance use and financial demands, with reports that Rickman pressured Choi and took money from her.<\/p>\n

    In late 2021 Choi took steps to separate from Rickman. She reported domestic incidents to local police, described alleged tracking via Apple AirTags, and filed a complaint after Rickman took her truck. A judge issued a strict no-contact order on Dec. 1, 2021; Rickman was briefly jailed for the motor-vehicle incident but released within days.<\/p>\n

    After the no-contact order, Choi and friends reported repeated harassment: slashed tires, theft from her vehicle, blocked phone calls and apparent surveillance by a black BMW and a beige Chevy Colorado. Surveillance footage from the hotel where she worked showed a man slashing tires in the parking lot; witnesses and hotel employees repeatedly told investigators they believed Rickman was the person in the videos.<\/p>\n

    Main Event<\/h2>\n

    On the evening of Jan. 2, 2022, Choi called 911, saying she did not know her exact location and that “my boyfriend’s following me” and “he’s got a gun.” The dispatcher audio captures the call and the abrupt sequence that included multiple gunshots. Lakewood officers reached the scene within minutes, forced entry through a rear window and began life-saving measures, but Choi later died at a nearby hospital.<\/p>\n

    Prosecutors say the sequence began when Rickman used his vehicle to pinch Choi’s truck off the road. After the first volley of nine shots, he drove away; Choi’s truck continued and struck a utility pole, at which point Rickman returned, rolled down his window, and fired five more times without exiting his vehicle. Investigators counted at least 14 rounds fired and at least 10 wounds to Choi.<\/p>\n

    Detectives developed leads at the scene: an identifying lanyard found on Choi tied her to the nearby Holiday Inn where she worked, and hotel staff later identified a suspect vehicle and provided surveillance. Prosecutors say phone records and surveillance from several businesses\u2014including a car-rental office showing Rickman renting a Chevy Colorado in his name\u2014placed Rickman in the area and linked him to the vehicle used in the attack.<\/p>\n

    Rickman evaded capture for several days before law enforcement located him in Humboldt County, California. Officers say he was hypothermic and intoxicated when taken into custody after wandering outdoors for hours. He was returned to Washington, charged, tried in November 2023 and convicted of aggravated first-degree murder.<\/p>\n

    Analysis & Implications<\/h2>\n

    The case has highlighted the escalation pattern common in intimate-partner homicides: a rapid shift from romantic attention to control, stalking and, ultimately, lethal violence. Choi’s recorded reports\u2014AirTag concerns, repeated harassment, and a no-contact order\u2014fit risk indicators used by domestic-violence specialists to predict dangerousness. Prosecutors emphasized those indicators in the homicide trial to explain motive and premeditation.<\/p>\n

    The family’s civil suit and commentary from victim advocates focus on police tactics and resource priorities. Attorneys argue that multiple missed opportunities\u2014surveillance video, eyewitness descriptions, motel leads and the rental-car record\u2014could have been acted on faster to locate Rickman before the killing. City counsel countered in court that police officers have limited affirmative duty to arrest suspects who are not at the scene, a legal distinction that is shaping litigation and policy debate.<\/p>\n

    The case also spotlights how modern tracking tools and ordinary business surveillance can aid investigations, and conversely how gaps in processing that evidence can leave victims exposed. For victims, AirTags and phone metadata can reveal stalking; for investigators, timely cross-checking of motel records, rental-car logs and GPS data proved decisive in this prosecution.<\/p>\n

    At a policy level the case raises questions about domestic-violence training, officer workload and the thresholds for proactive patrols, BOLOs (be-on-the-lookout alerts) and arrests. Expert witnesses for the family argued the officers involved had domestic-violence training yet failed to take actions the experts regard as standard; the city contested that characterization. The civil suit may press departments to clarify procedures for responding to high-risk stalking reports.<\/p>\n

    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Date<\/th>\nEvent<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
    May 2021<\/td>\nRickman meets Choi at hotel where she worked.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Dec. 1, 2021<\/td>\nNo-contact order issued after truck incident; Rickman jailed three days for taking Choi’s truck.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Dec. 30\u201331, 2021<\/td>\nMultiple harassment incidents reported: slashed tires, thefts, and suspected motel surveillance.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Jan. 2, 2022<\/td>\nChoi’s final 911 call and fatal shooting (14 rounds fired).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Jan. 6\u20137, 2022<\/td>\nRickman arrested in Humboldt County, California.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Nov. 2023<\/td>\nRickman convicted of aggravated first-degree murder; life without parole.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n

    Context: the table above condenses the sequence prosecutors used to show escalation and opportunity. Phone GPS, motel surveillance and the rental-car record were among the data points that connected Rickman to the Chevrolet Colorado seen on video.<\/p>\n

    Reactions & Quotes<\/h2>\n

    Prosecutors and family members described the emotional toll and the legal stakes as they pursued both criminal conviction and civil accountability.<\/p>\n

    \n

    “He is there to kill her. He is there to kill her.”<\/p>\n

    Greg Greer, Pierce County prosecutor (trial remarks)<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    Context: Prosecutor Greer used the 911 audio and surveillance compilation to paint a picture of stalking and deliberate violence, and told jurors the sequence of phone and video evidence showed planning and an intent to kill.<\/p>\n

    \n

    “This death was incredibly foreseeable.”<\/p>\n

    Meaghan Driscoll, family attorney<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    Context: Driscoll framed the wrongful-death suit around an argument that available leads and reports should have prompted more urgent police action to find and arrest Rickman before Jan. 2, 2022.<\/p>\n

    \n

    “Billy didn’t just take Gloria’s physical life. Billy took everything.”<\/p>\n

    Brieanna Eberly, friend of Gloria Choi<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    Context: Friends who testified at trial and who spoke publicly emphasized Choi’s role as a mother and worker, and described the grief and sense of loss left by the killing.<\/p>\n