Law enforcement officers in King County, Washington, are seeking answers in the Sunday morning shooting death of a 27-year-old soldier from Joint Base Lewis-McChord.



Sgt. Timothy Simon Hovey, of Sacramento, Calif., was taken by friends to a local hospital after they found him suffering from multiple gunshot wounds around 4:30 a.m. Sunday, according to a King County Sheriff's Office news release. He'd recently left a party in Burien, a small city south of Seattle.



Hovey, with C Battery, 5th Battalion, 5th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, was later transferred to another hospital, where he died, The Seattle Times reported.



Hovey, an air and missile defense crew member, entered service in July 2010. He earned two Army Achievement Medals and two Army Good Conduct Medals, among other awards and decorations.



"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Sgt. Hovey," Lt. Col. Frederick Williams, public affairs officer with the JBLM-based 7th Infantry Division, said in a statement. "It's a tragic situation, and we're really shocked and saddened by the loss of one of our teammates."



The Army is assisting in the investigation as needed, Williams said. King County officials have asked anyone with information on the incident to call 206-296-3311 or 800-222-TIPS (8477).



