Editor’s note: The video above was originally published in January 2016 after two people were shot and killed at The Jungle homeless camp.
SEATTLE - Two brothers were found guilty of murder in the killing of two people at the former illegal homeless camp known as "The Jungle" in January 2016.
Jerome and James Taafulisia were found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder and three counts of first-degree assault after a drug-related shooting at the homeless camp. Two people were killed, and three others were injured in the shooting.
Police described the shooting as “targeted.” Prosecutors said their motive was to rob a small-time drug dealer of about $100 worth of heroin and several hundred dollars in cash.
Jerome and James Taafulisia, who were 16 and 17 at the time of the shooting, were found guilty in a King County courtroom Thursday. A jury could not unanimously agree to convict either defendant in August 2018.
The Jungle, which was situated under I-5 in South Seattle, was notorious for multiple cases of criminal activity and drug use. The encampment was shut down by the city in October 2016.
A sentencing date for Jerome and James Taafulisia is set for January 13, 2020.
