KENT, Wash. — A Lakewood man accused of killing another man at the Phoenix Court apartments in Kent last month pled not guilty Thursday.
Jaiquane Sherrod Wheeler, 25, was taken into custody on Aug. 9 at the Phoenix Court apartments in Kent. Wheeler is facing second-degree murder and first-degree assault charges.
According to the Kent Police Department, 43-year-old Jeffery Winn was shot in a common area of the apartment complex on July 15, following a dispute. Winn was transported to the hospital but later died from his injuries.
According to court documents, a witness told investigators they saw the shooter chase after Winn after shooting him until he fell to the ground in the parking lot. The shooter then reportedly went through Winn's pockets and said something like "Where is it." The witness said the shooter then shot at another man before fleeing the scene.
Investigators recovered a cellphone at the shooting scene and found multiple selfies of a man, later identified as Wheeler. The cellphone's number was also later associated with Wheeler. Court documents also said investigators recovered two guns from the apartment unit where they apprehended Wheeler.
King County Prosecutors requested he be held on a $2 million bond. Wheeler's next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 28.
The City of Kent has filed a lawsuit to declare the Phoenix Court apartments a public nuisance. The city alleges the complex is a "hotbed of criminal activity," including shootings, car theft and drug dealing, and that it puts a disproportionate strain on police resources compared to other apartment complexes in the city. The city alleges the management and property owners have not done enough to put a stop to it.
