In the early morning hours of March 30, 2016, a burst of gunfire in Seattle's historic Pioneer Square cut short the life of 28-year-old Hersey Purvis, a Black/African American male. Purvis and another man, Isaiah Whitmore, were shot in front of the Chief Seattle Club. While Whitmore, who was struck four times, died at the scene, Purvis was hit twice in the chest and succumbed to his injuries at Harborview Medical Center.
The incident stemmed from an earlier dispute between Whitmore and the man who would later be charged with their murders.
The investigation into the double homicide soon focused on Darion Arkei Lipsey. According to witness accounts and court records, Lipsey had been involved in an argument with Whitmore earlier, during which Whitmore may have made a threat. Later that morning, Lipsey, riding as a passenger in a distinctive tan Buick sedan, spotted Whitmore on the street. He directed the driver, Jessica Malla, to pull into an alley in the 400 block of Second Avenue Extension South and wait for him. Lipsey then exited the vehicle, and moments later, the driver heard gunshots. He returned to the car, urging her to "Go, go, go!".
During the subsequent investigation, Malla, the driver, was identified and questioned by detectives. She eventually implicated Lipsey as the shooter, stating she believed he was only going to sell drugs when he got out of the car. Further witness statements suggested that Purvis was not the intended target of the attack. He had tragically moved into the line of fire as Lipsey was shooting at Whitmore. It was reported that Lipsey was upset upon learning that he had also killed Purvis, whom he had not intended to harm.
In November 2016, prosecutors filed two counts of first-degree murder against Darion Lipsey, who remained at large for some time. After his capture, his legal proceedings began. A first trial in February 2019 ended with a hung jury, failing to reach a verdict. However, the prosecution pursued a second trial in August 2019, which resulted in Lipsey being convicted on both counts of premeditated murder in the first degree, with firearm enhancements for each. A key witness testified that Lipsey had personally admitted to her that he had killed both Whitmore and Purvis.
