On Valentine’s Day in Tacoma, Washington, the life of Kadony Robbins, an 18-year-old Black / African American male, was tragically cut short. Family and friends remembered Robbins, who had turned 18 just three months earlier, as a charismatic and kind young man with a passion for rapping and woodwork. A friend recalled that he had a special ability to make others happy, even when he was not doing well himself.
In the early hours of February 14, 2025, Robbins was at a gathering at his
girlfriend's mother's apartment in the 1300 block of South G Street. When the party grew loud, people were asked to leave, and an argument broke out between a 15-year-old boy and another man. Robbins stepped in to de-escalate the conflict and was trying to escort the teen and his friends out of the building. The dispute intensified after the teen allegedly hit Robbins’ girlfriend. Witnesses reported that Robbins confronted the boy, who then told his cousin to shoot Robbins or give him the gun so he could do it himself. A single shot was fired, striking Robbins in the chest. He was rushed to a local hospital but did not survive. The Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office later ruled his death a homicide caused by a gunshot wound.
The investigation quickly led to two arrests. The 15-year-old who allegedly ordered the shooting was arrested after he appeared at the same hospital where Robbins had been taken. He was charged with first-degree murder. His cousin, 16-year-old Jason Dale Lenahan Jr., was later identified as the alleged shooter and was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.
The cases for both teenagers were transferred from juvenile to adult court. The teen who ordered the shooting, by then 16, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of second-degree murder. In January 2026, a judge sentenced him to 10 years in prison, to be followed by 36 months of community custody.
Jason Dale Lenahan Jr. entered a plea of not guilty to the charges against him. As of January 2026, he remained held on $1 million bail while awaiting trial in Pierce County Superior Court.
