Young man fatally shot on Kent’s East Hill identified

The 19-year-old man killed during a shooting Wednesday night on Kent’s East Hill has been identified as Duane Everett Tyson.

Tyson died of a gunshot wound to the chest, according to the King County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Kent Police are still trying to find who shot Tyson during a possibly gang-related dispute in the 10800 block of Southeast 240th Street. Two 17-year-old boys also were injured during the confrontation, one during the shooting, the other after being hit by a vehicle leaving the scene, according to police.

Death surrounded Tyson for much of his young life. He lost his sister in a shooting last year in Seattle, his father during a shooting in 2007 in Skyway near Renton, and a boyfriend of his mother in a 2007 shooting in Seattle, according to several website reports.

Lateka Williams started a gofundme.com account in memory of Tyson and wrote on the website:

“On Wednesday January 31st 2018 Duane Tyson Jr. was tragically gunned down in Kent WA. due to senseless gun violence. Duane was so intelligent, he loved life, his son Leeandre, his family and friends. He had a smile and personality that lit up any room that he entered. What makes this even worse is that his sister Che’Reonna Thomas lost her life to gun violence six months prior.

“His mother Patrice Thomas, and family are still mourning the loss of Che’ and now her oldest son as well. No Mother should have to bury any child let alone two children in just a matter of six months. Duane’ s mother Patrice, son LeeAndre, and Little brothers Julian and Jarian need their family, friends, and communities support at this time. WE LOVE YOU, and WE ARE GOING TO MISS YOU DUANE … God Bless this family, Amen!”

Patrice Thomas posted a message about the shooting on her Facebook page.

“My heart is broken two children gone over what this (stuff) has to stop I’m only 38 and have to bury my children 6 months apart no one (knows) pain like me please keep me in your prayers,” Patrice Thomas wrote.

Che’Reonna Thomas, 20, died Aug. 7 after she was shot in the head during a drive-by shooting July 1 in South Seattle while riding in a vehicle with her boyfriend, according to a 2017 report at patch.com.

In 2007, Duane Tyson, 34, the father of Duane Everett Tyson, was shot and killed June 20 in Skyway, according to a 2007 report at seattlepi.com.

In addition to losing the father of her oldest son, Patrice Thomas lost a boyfriend, Jarrett Bazile, 28, during a drive-by shooting in September 2007 in Seattle, according to patch.com. She had just moved back to Seattle two years earlier with Bazile after living in Louisiana when Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005.

The life of Duane Everett Tyson also included numerous contacts with law enforcement.

Tyson was booked five times last year at the King County jail. He was booked in November and released Dec. 23 after serving about a month on multiple charges, including investigation of robbery, investigation of assault and failure to appear on drug charges, according to jail records. Other bookings were in February, June and September for a variety of charges, including juvenile parole hold, felon in possession of a pistol, failure to appear on drug charges, investigation of robbery and failure to appear on a third-degree theft charge.