PSU athlete Daunte Strickland (left) and sister Tamena Strickland.
Following the shooting death of 22-year-old former Portland State University basketball star Deante Strickland Friday afternoon, Deante’s sister, Tamena Strickland, has been charged with three criminal counts related to the death and wounding of two other family members. Hundreds showed out for a candlelight vigil that was held in Deante Strickland's memory Tuesday night.
30-year-old Tamena Strickland is charged with one count of murder with a firearm and two counts of attempted murder with a firearm, Multnomah County District Attorney Rod Underhill announced Monday.
According to court documents, Portland Police responded to reports of a shooting at approximately 2pm on Friday in the 6200 block of Northeast 42nd Avenue.
When officers arrived, they located Deante Strickland suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest and died just north of the residence.
Two others, a 25-year-old woman and a 67-year-old woman, who were also Strickland’s relatives, were transported to the hospital after being found by police with gunshot-related injuries.
The 25-year-old, who is Strickland’s cousin, told police she heard gunshots while in the bedroom of her residence, where the 67-year-old woman and Deante and Tamena Strickland were located. When the 25-year-old approached the living room, she saw her cousin, Tamena Strickland, direct a silver handgun in her direction and shoot her. Both of the two injury victims are expected to recover.
Tamena Strickland surrendered to Portland Police with her attorney at around 7pm that evening and officers also found a black gun box on the front passenger seat floorboard in a vehicle associated with the alleged suspect.
Deante Strickland was slated to play for PSU’s football team after playing two seasons of basketball with the Vikings. He earned a degree in June and was preparing to compete in football in his fifth year, for graduate school.
“We are all deeply saddened and grieving about this tragic news,” said Viking Basketball Coach Barret Peery, who recruited Strickland back to his hometown in 2017, a statement from PSU said.
Strickland was previously a former athletic standout at Central Catholic High School.