On a summer afternoon in Tacoma, Washington, on July 30, 2019, 16-year-old Jamone Pratt was on the front porch of a house in the 4600 block of South J Street, hanging out with friends. His life was cut short when a minivan drove by, and seven rounds were fired in his direction. Struck in the head, Pratt was rushed to Tacoma General Hospital, where he died that night.
The shooting also left several bullet holes in the home, but miraculously, no one else was injured.
The investigation into the shooting quickly pointed to a tragic story of teenage conflict and gang rivalry. According to court documents, the shooting was an act of retaliation. The alleged shooter, 16-year-old Andre Darrell Gonzalez, claimed that Pratt, who was associated with a rival gang, had threatened to kill him and harm his unborn child with his 17-year-old girlfriend, Sunshine Rain Timmons. This alleged threat stemmed from an ongoing feud between their respective gangs, which had intensified after the shooting death of another individual months earlier.
The events leading up to the fatal shooting unfolded as Gonzalez, Timmons, and other teens were leaving the area after visiting a friend. Spotting Pratt on the porch, they circled the block. During that time, Timmons and another teen, 17-year-old Treyshawn Donovan Hilton, switched seats in the minivan. Gonzalez and Hilton then covered their faces with bandannas. As they approached the house again, Hilton allegedly encouraged Gonzalez, who then fired out of the window, fatally wounding Pratt.
The subsequent police investigation led to the identification of the suspects' minivan at a trailer park in Lakewood, where they placed a tracker on it. A break in the case came when an individual taken into custody on an unrelated matter offered information about Pratt's murder, stating they had overheard Gonzalez "confessed/bragged" about the killing. This led to the arrest of Gonzalez and Timmons, who both allegedly confessed to their involvement. The handgun believed to have been used in the shooting was found in Gonzalez's waistband at the time of his arrest. Hilton was arrested later.
All three teenagers were charged as adults with first-degree murder, among other charges. In February 2021, the three were sentenced for their roles in Jamone Pratt's death. Andre Darrell Gonzalez, the shooter, received a 25-year prison sentence. Sunshine Rain Timmons, who was in the vehicle and allegedly encouraged the shooting, was sentenced to 20 years. Treyshawn Donovan Hilton, who was driving at the time of the shooting, received a 10-year sentence. Gonzalez and Timmons pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, while Hilton pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.
