Man held without bail in 3-day spate of Seattle shootings. shootings that left the owner of one business dead, the owner of another in critical condition and the driver of a car wounded in the leg. The suspect, Ashton Lefall, is accused of killing D’Vonne Pickett Jr. in the Central District. A relative of Lefall called 911 to report that the suspect appeared to be having a psychotic episode and “may be traveling around Seattle shooting people.”
D’Vonne Pickett Jr. was a huge loss for the Seattle community. He was a pillar of good and his family was outraged in the courtroom knowing what happened. According to authorities, the suspect shot and critically injured Pickett, the owner of an African import specialty store in Seattle’s Columbia City neighborhood. He demanded the businessman’s debit card and PIN, then shot him in the chest after he complied, police said in a probable cause statement filed in King County Superior Court.
In a statement, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell said:
“I am deeply saddened by the tragic killing of D’Vonne Pickett, Jr., a father, businessman, mentor, and pillar in our Central District community. D’Vonne was known for his kindness, determination, and passion for uplifting the Seattle community and making a positive impact in the Central District with his business, The Postman, which honored the legacy of his late grandfather. Along with his family-run business, he was also a youth sports coach, giving his time and talent to mentoring our young people and shaping the next generation of leaders in this city. The profound impact he had on the Central District and Seattle will not be forgotten. I am praying for his wife KeAnna, his children, and everyone in the community who had the privilege of knowing him.
“We know gun violence affects our communities every day in different forms, and disproportionately impacts communities of color and young Black men. We cannot allow a senseless tragedy like this to be the norm in our city. I will continue to take meaningful, urgent action to comprehensively address public safety in Seattle, tackle gun violence like the public health crisis we know it is, and build a safe city for all.”
When Ashton Lefall was arrested last Thursday at his South Seattle apartment, he was wearing the same shirt, shorts and shoes as seen in the videos the police was given. Investigators said surveillance video from the African specialty import store, the exterior cameras on the Tesla and Pickett’s killing linked the shootings.
On Friday, a judge found probable cause to hold Lefall in custody without bail for the charges he faces in Pickett’s death, including first-degree murder. He is also accused of other crimes in Seattle and is facing charges of two counts of assault, robbery and unlawful possession of a gun. The three-day spate of shootings left the owner of one business dead, the owner of another in critical condition, and the driver of a car wounded in the leg.
