Kent man charged in double fatal shooting on East Hill

Published 4:55 pm Monday, April 13, 2026

King County prosecutors claim it was an “unprovoked” shooting when a 34-year-old Kent man allegedly shot to death two men during a gathering in the backyard of a East Hill home with four shots, including at least one shot fired right next to a man’s head.

Deangelo Cyrus Lynch was charged Monday, April 13 with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of second-degree domestic violence assault, according to King County Superior Court documents. Lynch is scheduled to be arraigned April 16 at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent. Lynch remains in custody at the King County Correctional Facility in Seattle with bail set at $5 million.

Lynch is accused in an April 7 double fatal shooting at 12009 SE 210th Pl., of Denzel Pressley, 26, of Federal Way, and Doneu Gore, 25, of Seattle. He also faces a second-degree assault charge for allegedly threatening a female roommate with a gun right after the shooting, according to court documents.

“Although others may have been involved in some sort of argument that evening, prior to the shooting, nothing suggests that the defendant was under any threat of danger or harm when he repeatedly shot both victims,” wrote Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Lorna Sylvester in charging documents and a request for high bail. “Given the unprovoked nature of the shooting involving multiple victims, with at least one of the shots being a close range shot to Mr. Gore’s head, and given the defendant’s threats to a witness after the shooting, the defendant presents a danger to the community.”

The evening of the fatal shootings began simply enough. Lynch said he and several people were at the house he shares with five others watching the NBA game between the Boston Celtics and Charlotte Hornets and dinner was being made by a female roommate. Lynch said two men (Pressley and Gore) that were unknown to him walked into the house, reportedly as guests of a female roommate who hugged one of them.

The female roommate later told police that she invited one of the men to the house because of an alleged physical domestic violence incident (and prior incidents) between herself and her boyfriend (not Lynch) who also lives at the house, according to charging documents.

The boyfriend reportedly told Pressley and Gore they needed to leave. An argument began and Lynch told police he went outside to the front of the house to call out from work from his girlfriend’s vehicle. Lynch said he became worried about his girlfriend in the house where arguing was going on and two men there that he didn’t know.

Lynch returned to the house and allegedly ended up in the backyard where Pressley and Gore were. Kent Police detectives watched a video from a neighbor’s Ring camera that reportedly showed Lynch firing two shots each at Pressley and Gore as he advanced on them, according to charging documents. Lynch also allegedly approached a female roommate in the yard, told her to get on her knees and threatened to shoot her before he fled the house.

Kent Police officers responded at about 10:22 p.m. April 7 to the house after reports of gunshots in the neighborhood. Officers found Pressley and Gore in the backyard. They died at the scene.

Gore’s gunshots were to his head and his left side chest, according to the King County Medical Examiner’s Office. Pressley’s gunshots were both to his head. Gore suffered from a severed aorta. In addition, the medical examiner noticed the wound to Gore’s left temple had been at close range or even a contact shot based on gunpowder particles located inside the wound.

Lynch reportedly tossed the gun in some nearby bushes that a police K-9 unit later found. Detectives, based on statements from witnesses and video surveillance, arrested Lynch April 8 for investigation of the two murders after tracking him down at another Kent location.

During interviews with police, Lynch denied he shot the men. When told about the video surveillance that allegedly showed him shooting the men, Lynch denied he was in the backyard, according to charging papers.

“Neither Mr. Gore nor Mr. Pressley was in any sort of argument with the defendant at the time he shot them,” wrote Sylvester, the senior deputy prosecuting attorney. “An eyewitness and surveillance video shows a group of people standing on the back porch of a residence having conversation. The defendant walked up to Mr. Gore and shot him in the head. The surveillance clearly shows that the victims were just standing there before they were shot.”

Lynch is from Virginia and has been in Washington state for a short period of time, according to charging documents. He has prior criminal history from Virginia which includes a 2020 conviction for assault and battery of a family member, 2018 convictions for DUI and disorderly conduct, and two convictions for failure to appear (2023 and 2011).