On a summer evening, a promising life was tragically cut short in what has been described as a case of mistaken identity. Zula Mehari Werede, a 29-year-old Black / African American man, had come to the United States from Eritrea in search of a better life. He was diligently working two jobs to support his family back home. On July 5, 2019, he went to Valley Ridge Park in SeaTac, Washington, to play soccer with his friends, a simple pleasure on a Friday evening.
As he was retrieving something from his car, he was senselessly shot multiple times. He died at the scene.
The man who approached him was Eson Herr, a 26-year-old with a history of felony convictions. In a tragic error, Herr mistook Werede for a man with whom he had a conflict a year earlier. Witnesses reported that Herr drove through the park's parking lot in a distinctive Dodge Charger, uttered a racial slur, and then opened fire in broad daylight, with children playing nearby. The Eritrean community in the Seattle area was left to mourn the loss of one of their own, rallying to support his family and raise funds to send his body back to his homeland for burial.
Following the shooting, Herr fled the scene. However, he was not at large for long. On July 8, 2019, Eson Herr was arrested in Federal Way. His girlfriend, Latecia Fortune, was also taken into custody. Herr was subsequently charged with first-degree murder and unlawful possession of a firearm. Fortune faced charges of first-degree felony rendering criminal assistance for allegedly helping Herr evade capture and conceal evidence. Herr's arraignment was scheduled for July 24, 2019, at the King County Superior Court.
