Fallen Tree Kills 1, Injures 6 at Pierce County Halloween Event

A large deciduous tree split and fell onto vendor tents at a Halloween trick-or-treat event at McKenna Park in Roy, Washington around 1:02 p.m. Saturday, striking booths where 40–80 people had gathered and killing a man in his 30s while trapping an estimated 5–7 people, Pierce County deputies said. Six to eight people were injured—two with serious injuries were transported to hospitals, others suffered broken bones or minor cuts and bruises, and several were treated on scene as first responders triaged patients. The rural location roughly 27 miles south of Tacoma complicated emergency response and hospital transports, and deputies described the scene as chaotic. The tree appeared to have cracked in high gusty winds during a regional wind advisory (winds 20–30 mph, gusts up to 45 mph), and officials urged assessing hazardous trees to help prevent similar “freak” accidents; the investigation and victim counts remain ongoing.