In a tragic and senseless act of violence, 17-year-old Shawn Scott Jr., a Black male, lost his life on April 11, 2017, in Portland, Oregon. The fatal encounter occurred in Holladay Park in the northeastern part of the city. Scott, a junior at Union High School in nearby Vancouver, Washington, was pronounced dead at the scene from a single gunshot wound. The incident was later determined to be a homicide.
The investigation into the death of Shawn Scott Jr.
revealed that he was the victim of a robbery gone wrong. Surveillance footage from the park showed three individuals approaching Scott, who was standing near a tree. Initially, the interaction appeared to be a transaction involving the sale of alcohol. However, after a brief moment, the three individuals returned and surrounded Scott. The motive for the confrontation was a designer belt that Scott was wearing.
The situation escalated quickly when one of the suspects, identified as Kole Jones, pulled out a handgun and pointed it at Scott's back. Jones then struck Scott over the head with the firearm, causing it to discharge. The single shot proved to be fatal for the teenager. Following the shooting, all three suspects fled the scene. In the days and weeks that followed, authorities made arrests in connection with the case. The three individuals involved were identified as Kole Jones, then 20, Miguel Thompson, also 20 at the time, and Malique Kinnerly-Hicks, who was 18.
Ultimately, all three suspects pleaded guilty to charges related to the robbery and Scott's death. Kole Jones pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter and attempted first-degree robbery with a firearm, receiving a 19-year prison sentence. Miguel Thompson pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter and first-degree robbery, resulting in a sentence of 13 years and nine months in prison. Malique Kinnerly-Hicks pleaded guilty to first-degree robbery and was sentenced to seven and a half years at the Oregon Youth Authority. During the sentencing, a statement from Shawn Scott Jr.'s mother, Natasha Hunter, was read, expressing the profound and lasting pain of losing her son.
