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New dad murdered on way to hospital to see baby

Alex Rozier and Elisa Hahn, KING-TV, Seattle
Stock image of an emergency vehicle light.

FEDERAL WAY, Wash. - A Washington man on his way to see his newborn son was gunned down in what police are investigating as a road rage incident. 

Family members identified the murder victim as 33-year-old Denis Sloboda. His brother Anton Sloboda said his brother became a new father last week, when his wife gave birth to a baby boy. 

According to Anton Sloboda, Denis arrived at the family home in Northeast Tacoma last night, and said an angry driver had followed him home.

From their balcony, Anton said they could see a man staring up at the house from across the street.

"He was coming toward us from the parking lot," said Anton Sloboda. "He was wearing all white, white pants, white t-shirt or like a long sleeve shirt."

About an hour and a half later, around 10:15 p.m., Denis Sloboda left the house to head to the hospital to see his family. Ten minutes later, police received reports of shots fired on Hoyt Road and found Sloboda's bullet-ridden silver 2002 Lexus IS 300.

Police are currently canvassing the route Sloboda may have taken and looking for any witnesses and surveillance video.

"It's just very odd, definitely not your typical road rage incident," said Cathy Schrock, spokesperson for Federal Way Police.

While they're investigating this shooting as road rage, Schrock said Sloboda has a history of property crimes in his past that they are considering as a possible factor.

"Regardless of the reason they came to be there, there was still a homicide one committed, and we want to bring them to justice," Schrock said.

Police have not yet released a description of the suspect.

This murder comes in a difficult year of crime in Federal Way. In May there was a community meeting after three murders in three separate shootings in a 48-hour period. City leaders are working to fix the problem, but Monday night they were dealt a setback with the murder on Hoyt Road.