Justice4Thom

From updated Death Data from the King County Medical Examiners, Women in Black learned of the deaths of 16 of our sisters and brothers outdoors, in public, or by violence in June. Last month there were at least TWO homeless homicide victims and THREE fire-related deaths (including two homeless people air-lifted down from Bethel, AK).

From noon to 1 PM Wednesday, July 17th we’ll stand vigil on the steps of Seattle City Hall (4th/James).

For the first time in the history of our WHEEL/Women in Black, there’ll be a simultaneous Solidarity Vigil, organized by supporters, in Lake City, at the Arch at the Lake City Mini Park (125th/Lake City Way NE).

We’ll be standing to honor and remember these beloved people:

**Billie Grimm-Stone, 32, died by smoke inhalation in an abandoned bldg fire at 917 NE 63rd on 6/4
**David Schonfeld, 61, died by gunshot homicide at HMC after shot at 3300 Airport Wy S on 6/5
**Alexx Ohnemus, 27, died by gunshot wound (manner unknown) at 1016 Occidental S on 6/9
**Russell Purrington, 37, died by meth/fentanyl-involved OD at a tea shop at 824 E Pike on 6/10
**Jennifer Marcelo, 54, found in unknown location; died at Swedish of natural causes on 6/12
**Eric Bland, 28, died by fentanyl-involved OD at 2024 Third Ave on 6/13
**Steve Sedgwick, 43, died by meth/ethanol-involved OD in hospital; found at 3434 S 152nd on 6/15
**Gregory Alfred, 63, died by smoke inhalation at HMC; found in abandoned bldg in Bethel AK on 6/15
**Doreen Black, 60 died by smoke inhalation at HMC; found in abandoned bldg in Bethel AK on 6/15
**Mark Lujan, 44, died by meth/fentanyl/ethanol-involved OD in parking lot at 1526 2nd Ave on 6/16
**William Tappe, 53, died at HMC; found outside at 4559 California SW on 6/16, cause pending
**Tyler Randall, 48, died by fentanyl-involved OD in vehicle at NE 44th/36th NE on 6/14
**Michael Brophy, 62, died by gastrointestinal hemorrhage at 15th W/W Armor (Golf Ctr) on 6/19
**Ryan Christopher Morris, 28, died by cocaine/ethanol-involved OD at 7th/Cherry on 6/20
**Larry Bailey, 61, died by anoxic encephalopathy (accident) at HMC; found at 3005 Rainier S on 6/20
**Cameron Heriford, 35, died by choke-hold homicide at HMC; found at 6900 E Green Lake Wy N on 6/28

This vigil will be dedicated to Denise Charbonneau-Bartlet, 64, beloved of Lake Washington UMC’s Safe Parking program, who died on June 19th in the Kia she called home.

Without shelter, people die! At least 380 homeless/temporarily housed people died outside, in public or by violence last year, and 159 already this year.

Though the number of homeless people who’ve died unsheltered or by violence this year is lower than the same period last year—and we’re grateful for that!—we do not rest easy, nor will we stop fighting for more shelter, housing, and an end to brutal encampment sweeps. Standing vigil for 16 homeless people who died just in one month, including at least two homicide victims, is not easy. JOIN US next week!

Remembering you today.

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Sweeps tripled in 2023: Inside Seattle’s extensive policy of sweeps and forcible displacement of homeless people Real Change By Guy Oron | June 5, 2024 Seattle broke the record with more than 2,800 sweeps of unhoused people New data obtained by Real Change indicates that Seattle’s sweeps of unhoused people and their encampments tripled in 2023 under Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell. The figures, as well as other ...

Sweeps tripled in 2023: Inside Seattle’s extensive policy of sweeps and forcible displacement of homeless people Real Change By Guy Oron | June 5, 2024 Seattle broke the record with more than 2,800 sweeps of unhoused people New data obtained by Real Change indicates that Seattle’s sweeps of unhoused people and their encampments tripled in 2023 under Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell. The figures, as well as other ...

Another unnecessary death.

Washington man fatally shoots 17-year-old who had BB gun, says he 'had a duty to act' Aaron Brown Myers tells police he thought the teens had a G***k and were about to commit an armed robbery. The teens say they told him they only had BB guns.

Seattle man used ax to kill 2 homeless people, charges say

Seattle man used ax to kill 2 homeless people, charges say Detectives may have averted a third homicide when they spotted the man carrying the ax and chased him, police say.

King County reports largest number of homeless people ever

King County reports largest number of homeless people ever Homelessness in Seattle and King County reached record levels in the 2024 Point-in-Time Count. Government officials say a housing shortage is to blame.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/YWhTVdJAM22Gmajy/?mibextid=WC7FNe

You might have heard: WE ARE SUING BURIEN, together with three Burien residents who don't have homes, to overturn the city's cruel and unconstitutional law that bans poor people from their hometown. Burien City Council has since revised the law twice, making it more vicious and arbitrary each time. They are now being sued by the King County Sherriff as well.

SUPPORT US AS WE PUSH AGAINST THIS UNJUST LAW and work for the affordable homes and services people need, want, and deserve - in Burien and everywhere!
Please DONATE what you can before midnight tonight: https://bit.ly/GiveBig2024

P.S. There's still no shelter in Burien (two shelters located there serve people from around King County and have almost no Burien financial support). The City Council has NOT found a site for 35 donated pallet shelters. The Council is poised to make it nearly impossible to site shelter or transitional housing anywhere in Burien. They passed a new zoning ordinance to limit any shelter to 30 people maximum. The city manager arbitrarily stripped competitively awarded funding from the only day center in town, run by a church. NEVERTHELESS: Despite this terrible government, plenty of Burien residents want housing and help for their neighbors who live outside. They show up at public meetings, do their research, organize meals and support, and continue to believe, as we do, that is .

On Monday the United States Supreme Court is taking up an Oregon camping ban case. If, as expected, they reverse a lower court’s decision, this would mean cities could sweep homeless people and camps with abandon, without any offer of shelter or housing, and without even a blanket to use while sleeping. WHEEL/Women in Black has joined with Oregon Quakers, Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness (SKCCH), former Chief Medical Examiner Dr Richard Harruff, and former King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg in an Amicus Brief opposing the reversal. Oral arguments are audio streaming from 7 AM Monday, our time. Then, from 4-6 PM we’re rallying with Services Not Sweeps Coalition partners at the Nakamura Federal Courthouse at 5th/6th and Seneca/Madison. Please join us. Sweeps kill.

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Homelessness is not a crime. The criminalization of people experiencing homelessness only perpetuates harm. The only solution to homelessness is ensuring that everyone has a safe and dignified home to sleep in.

The SPLC is part of a coalition of groups who submitted amicus briefs to the Supreme Court Grants Pass case about the criminalization of people experiencing homelessness.https://www.splcenter.org/sites/default/files/amicus-brief-grants-pass-oregon-v-gloria-johnson.pdf

Killing of West Seattle homeless man a window into tension among neighbors As the number of homeless people grows, their crises are increasingly brought into public view. This can breed contempt. And contempt can turn into violence.

Thom’s story.

Killing of West Seattle homeless man a window into tension in neighbors

Killing of West Seattle homeless man a window into tension in neighbors As the number of homeless people grows, their crises are increasingly brought into public view. This can breed contempt. And contempt can turn into violence.

Thom’s story is coming out Sunday in the Seattle Times. Make sure to get a copy!

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Youth and family providers have a lot to handle - our TANF/WorkFirst Training can make one thing easier: accessing cash benefits! Check out our training recap at https://blog.homelessinfo.org/public-benefits-are-key-tanf-and-workfirst-february-29th-2024/

Friends, we’re so sorry to relay we’re adding a name to our vigil list for this Wednesday: Andria Guttierrez, 35, who was found at 3rd/S Main on 2/20; cause of death pending. Andria was beloved by SO many people, including her Stop the Sweeps colleagues, many friends, & her partner. Andria lived in the greater Seattle area her whole life. She was sweet, and generous with her unhoused neighbors, friends, & folks she didn't even know. She was always helpful, and had a really kind smile. She leaves behind a young son, and will be missed beyond measure.

In the early morning hours of Thursday, February 22nd, Daravuth Van, 52, was found dead in an alcove near Seattle Town Hall, very close to one of WHEEL’s women’s shelters. This was a homicide by sharp force injury. Seattle Police Detectives are investigating, but there are no suspects yet. They haven’t eliminated the possibility that this homicide is related to the murder of Paul Earnest Ewell, 68, a homeless man whose body was found in the Central Area on February 10th.

This news came on the heels of a Capitol Hill blog report of another active SPD investigation, into the hit-and-run injuries of two homeless people in the early morning of Saturday, February 17th. From video footage, it appears a vehicle deliberately drove up onto the sidewalks where homeless people were sleeping.

https://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2024/02/police-investigating-new-seattle-hit-and-run-attacks-after-homeless-man-run-over-while-sleeping-on-north-capitol-hill-sidewalk/

KOMO-TV New reports that another such a deliberate hit and run-over of a homeless person occurred again this week.

Our community is shaken, scared, and grieving.

WHEEL/Women Black will stand vigil to honor and remember Daravuth Van on the steps of City Hall (4th/James) from noon to 1 PM next Wednesday, March 6th. We will be holding in our hearts ALL the homeless victims of violence in our region.

The divisive and victim-blaming rhetoric towards homeless people is killing us. At least 370 of our sisters and brothers died outside, in public, or by violence in 2023, and at least 31 already this year.

More shelter is desperately needed.

Here’s an update on WHEEL's effort to secure a meeting with Mayor Harrell about the catastrophe of homeless deaths and lack of shelter: Despite the Mayor’s Director of External Affairs making a public agreement after our last vigil, the Mayor's Office now seems to be reneging on the commitment to get the homeless women of WHEEL a meeting w/Mayor Harrell himself. If a meeting with the Mayor hasn't been calendared by the time of our vigil, we'll be spending the afternoon in City Hall again, until it IS calendared.

Join us in grief, outrage and ACTION.

https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/neighbors-mourn-homeless-man-killed-seattle/281-b145aae6-4274-42d3-89e1-1f99832ca9ee?fbclid=IwAR3kEfsENqLW2u6y7AL39MnA1LrnhW3T528OUsdwykr_CkRIdlaI6g1h5WM_aem_AWyo3H0RpFB8JEJsZppqkTPuB6Pl3-A--akyCnVcNY14rTSjSEwOYzJh6vhNRSMQ4CQ

'Unsettling' and 'unnecessary': Neighbors mourn homeless man killed in Seattle On Saturday morning, Seattle Police said the man was found dead with obvious head trauma. Neighbors say he was killed in the spot he slept every night for years.

King County setting records for homeless deaths is becoming awfully routine "We are not resigned," advocates said at a year-end vigil for all who died on the streets in 2023, another record. But is that true anymore of greater Seattle?

Terrible verdict.

Live: Community reacts after Tacoma police officers acquitted in Manuel Ellis’ death The jury has reached a verdict in the historic trial of three Tacoma police officers charged with killing Manuel Ellis, who died on March 3, 2020.

Stop the sweeps.

Cities crack down on homeless encampments. Advocates say that’s not the answer More cities across the U.S. are cracking down on homeless tent encampments that have grown more visible and become unsafe.

Recently released video from Thom’s homicide will hopefully help us get him some justice, as we gear up for court.