On what should have been a day of celebration, the life of Angelina Palmer, a 39-year-old White Caucasian mother of nine, was tragically cut short. On the evening of May 26, 2022, her 39th birthday, Palmer was leaving a 7-Eleven on Pacific Avenue South in Spanaway, Washington, when she was struck by a stray bullet. The gunfire erupted from an altercation between individuals in two separate vehicles in the convenience store's parking lot, a dispute in which she had no involvement.
Emergency responders arrived at the chaotic scene to find Palmer gravely wounded. Deputies provided first aid until medics could take over and rush her to a nearby hospital. Tragically, she succumbed to her injuries en route. The vehicles involved in the shooting had sped away, leaving behind a community in shock and a large family devastated by the sudden and senseless loss. Her brother remembered her as a loving sister who had once taken in five of her younger siblings to prevent them from entering the foster care system, all while raising her own children.
The investigation into Palmer's death soon focused on Jerrmell Rashadd Warren. It was determined that Warren had been involved in a verbal argument in the parking lot. After another individual sprayed him with bear spray, Warren retaliated by opening fire. One of those bullets fatally wounded Palmer. Although he was not immediately apprehended at the scene, investigators were able to identify him as the shooter. Warren was already in custody at the Pierce County Jail on unrelated charges when he was charged with second-degree murder, three counts of assault, and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm in connection with Palmer's death.
In August 2025, a Pierce County jury found Jerrmell Warren guilty of second-degree murder and two counts of assault for his role in the shooting. During the trial, Warren, who represented himself, unsuccessfully argued self-defense, temporary insanity, and unintentional intoxication from the bear spray. In October 2025, a judge sentenced him to 63.5 years in prison. At the sentencing, Palmer's family delivered emotional victim impact statements, with her brother offering forgiveness to Warren, not for his sake, but to prevent hate from overshadowing his sister's memory. A tearful Warren apologized to the family, stating that he had panicked on the night of the shooting.
