A 21-year-old man who was convicted of shooting 19-year-old Horace Lorenzo Anderson inside of Seattle’s 2020 Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) zone was sentenced to 14 years behind bars on Friday.
Marcel Long was handed down the prison sentence by King County Superior Court Judge Karen Donohue. Long will also have to provide restitution to Anderson’s family, who slammed the judge over the plea deal.
“I don’t even know why we’re sitting up here because they made a deal that we didn’t even agree on. They wanted this deal. He wanted this deal,” Horace Anderson Sr. said during the sentencing hearing, pointing to Long. “We didn’t want that deal. I said take it to trial and just let God figure it out. That’s what his mom said. But instead, we were force-fed this deal and we had to take it.”
FATHER'S FURY: Horace Anderson closed out the victim impact statements Friday afternoon in King County Superior Court. His lasted more than 30 minutes. This is a cut down version of some key moments. Like the others, Lorenzo's dad shared the pain and grief of losing his son. But… pic.twitter.com/A0Xl1mfjRc
— Jonathan Choe Journalist (Seattle) (@choeshow) July 1, 2023
Court documents show that the killing, which occurred during the protests in Seattle after the death of George Floyd, was downgraded from first to second-degree murder. Long was not arrested until one year after the killing.
Long ran after Anderson and shot him after the two had an argument. Anderson did not immediately receive medical care because city responders were hesitant to enter CHOP.
Police claimed a hostile crowd prevented them from entering the CHOP zone to clear the way for medics. Anderson reportedly had to be treated by civilians and was taken to Harborview Medical Center in the back of a pickup truck.
The city of Seattle previously gave Anderson $500,000 in a settlement over the incident.
During the sentencing, Anderson’s sister yelled at Long during the family’s turn to address the court. Through tears, she said that she “hated” Long.
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EMOTIONALLY CHARGED SENTENCING: Friday afternoon, court was temporarily halted during victim impact statements after an outburst by Donnitta Sinclair. She's the grief stricken mother of Lorenzo Anderson who was murdered by Marcel Long in #Seattle's CHAZ/CHOP zone during the… pic.twitter.com/cWOiTvC501
— Jonathan Choe Journalist (Seattle) (@choeshow) July 1, 2023
At one point during the sentencing, Anderson’s mother started walking toward Long and said that she was not going to let them “disrespect my son.” After police stepped in her way, she walked toward the judge and yelled at her, video shows. Chaos ensued in the courtroom, with parties on both sides yelling and screaming at each other.
According to the Seattle Times, prosecutors argued that Long had developmental issues, and was at the state of an 11-14-year-old at the time of the shooting. His exposure to violence growing up in his community was also considered.
“I would like to thank you for trying to understand the mistake of a kid in the streets but most of all I’m thankful for helping me understand the life I don’t want, but one I need, by simply just wanting me to change,” Long wrote in a letter to Anderson’s family.