Bouquets and potted flowers filled the front door of The Postman, a mailing and delivery company in Seattle’s Central District. There, friends and customers came Thursday to mourn for the owner, his D’Vonne Pickett Jr. before night falls.
Pickett, the father of three young children, and his wife, Keyanna, named the store after their great-grandfather, Jack Chappell, who was a postman in the neighborhood for 37 years, he said Thursday. said friend Y Mitchell, who paid tribute to her outside.
“We grew up together. I was 21 and Union and his family were 35 and Olive,” she said. “Everyone on CD knows D’Vonne and his family. He personally brought my grandma her mail.
Dozens of tributes have been posted on Pickett’s Facebook page, and on Thursday night, the street in front of the Postman took to the streets in memory of the beloved 32-year-old entrepreneur and youth football coach. It reflects the shock and grief of the hundreds of people flooded for the candlelight vigil. It is considered the pillar of the central district.
A black-owned store located just south of Union Street on the west side of Martin Luther King, Jr. Way, Postman was the first business to occupy a building across from a grocery store, now a dental office. It contains stores belonging to clinics and beauty salons. , gym, boxing gym. “Keeping Community Connected” is written in white below the business’s logo, and a new sign posted in the window informs customers that the Postman is closed until further notice.
Seattle police and the King County Sheriff’s SWAT team arrested a 31-year-old man suspected of murdering Pickett on Thursday afternoon, Det said. Seattle Police Department spokesperson Patrick Michaud.
A man arrested in his South Seattle apartment is also suspected of committing another recent murder and other shootings, but Michaud said the man was still being interviewed by detectives and had not been jailed. He declined to provide details.
Scott Kirby, who owns Zeal Fitness next door to The Postman, said he had just finished training for a client on Wednesday when he heard at least seven or eight gunshots outside his front door. I ran back to pick up the phone and called 911 at 6:29pm, two minutes later the police arrived.
When Kirby went outside, Pickett was lying on the ground with several gunshot wounds to his abdomen. Pickett’s wife, who was inside the couple’s store when the gunshots rang out, put pressure on his wound and tried to calm him down before doctors took over. , Pickett later died at Harbourview Medical Center.
“It was terrible. He was in so much pain. To see him die,” Kirby dragged his voice. “That’s so unfair. It doesn’t make any sense.”
Kirby saw 11 evidence markers placed by shell casings gathered near a bus stop just north of the postman. Be suspicious of.
Angus Norton, who has lived in the Central District for 20 years, learned of Pickett’s murder on Thursday when he arrived at the Postman to mail a package.
“They are a very hardworking family and they have a great story,” Norton said, referring to Pickett’s great-grandfather, whose United States Postal Service jacket hangs on the office wall. I can’t.I’m shocked.I’m sorry.This is a typical small business.They are very nice people.”
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, who also grew up in the Central District, has expressed his own grief over Pickett’s murder and the ongoing gun violence that disproportionately affects communities of color, especially young black men. accused the
“Davonne was known for his kindness, determination and passion for inspiring Seattle communities and making a positive impact in the Central District with his business, Postman,” Harrell said in a statement. In addition to running his family business, he is also a youth sports coach and has used his time and talents to mentor young people and shape the city’s next generation of leaders.
“We cannot allow senseless tragedies like this to become commonplace in our city,” Harrell continued. “I am committed to a meaningful and meaningful commitment to addressing public safety in Seattle comprehensively, tackling gun violence like the public health crisis we know, and building a safer city for all. We will continue to take urgent action.”
Mike Vethea, the legendary men’s basketball coach at Rainier Beach High School, said Pickett was tough and fearless on the court.
During his junior year at Rainier Beach, Pickett helped the powerhouse Vikings basketball team achieve a 29-1 record and a 3A state championship in the 2007-08 season. After suffering a knee injury, Pickett attended a junior college in Arizona where he played basketball for two years before winning a scholarship to attend Seattle University where he played for the Redhawks from 2012 to 2014. I did, said Bethea.
“I can’t say enough about him. He’s just a great kid,” said Bethea, who often spoke with Pickett. “He was a kid on the road early on. We talked about it all the time. He saw the big picture. He got into college. I graduated from Seattle University, became a young entrepreneur, started a business in our community, and raised a family.”
Bethea recalls that the last time he and Pickett spoke a month ago, he said he and his wife were preparing to buy a house.
“He was very happy to be around,” said Bethea. “The whole city is taking this very seriously.”
Bethea spent most of Thursday comforting members of the tight-knit Seattle-area basketball community.
“It’s like a part of you has been taken away…everyone is in tears,” Bethea said. “This hurts, man. No one can say anything negative about him. This pain extends from the Rainier Beach community to Seattle University and Central to his area. He’s all made a big impact on.”
Seattle Times sports reporter Percy Allen and news researcher Miyoko Wolfe contributed to this article.
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