Anthony E. Parker, 49, was killed in the early morning hours of July 21, 2020, at the Everspring Inn on Aurora Avenue North in Seattle. An argument in the motel lobby escalated and moved into the parking lot around 4 a.m., where surveillance footage shows both men armed. The footage reportedly shows the other man drawing first and firing; Parker was struck in the chest and died at the scene despite responders’ efforts. An autopsy confirmed a gunshot wound to the chest as the cause of death.

Investigators received anonymous tips that contributed to the case. Larone Deshawn Charles, 48, was arrested by Kent Police on July 25, 2020, and charged with second-degree murder, second-degree assault, and first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm. Prosecutors cited Charles’s prior conviction for a violent assault and kidnapping when seeking high bail; he was held at the King County Correctional Facility with arraignment set for early August 2020.

Did anyone stay at or work at the Everspring Inn around July 21, 2020, who might have seen the argument or has information about the altercation?