KITSAP COUNTY, WA - Authorities are searching for a 21-year-old man who is on the run after being released from prison after serving time for his involvement in several drive-by shootings in the Tacoma area.
The suspect, Dejhon Orange, was released on July 14 and was on probation until December 2027, according to Christopher Wright, spokesperson for the Department of Corrections. Wright said that Orange failed to report to his community corrections officer for a required check-in, causing the DOC to issue an arrest warrant, The News Tribune reported.
Orange is a documented gang member and was required to stay in Kitsap County following his conviction, according to a post from Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound. "He is not supposed to be in Pierce County due to concerns for the safety of [his] victims,” the post said. “He stole a vehicle in Lakewood and could be there, in Portland, or in other surrounding areas."
Tipsters who provide information that leads to Orange's arrest could be eligible for a $1,000 reward. According to court records, Orange was a participant in seven shootings between October 15, 2022 and November 2, 2022.
The first occurred at 9:53 p.m. on October 15 in the 2200 block of East 65th Street. When police arrived on the scene, they found 45 shell casings, court documents stated. A neighbor's surveillance footage showed a gray sedan driving around the intersection several times before four suspects stepped out. They shot at the house over 50 times, then got back in the vehicle.
About 40 minutes later, officers responded to a second drive-by shooting in the 4400 block of East R Street, with two people inside the residence at the time of the shooting. One of the bullets missed one of the occupants by two feet.
The next shooting happened on October 17 at 11:39 p.m. in the 1900 block of East 65th Street, followed by another shooting on October 20 at 11:15 p.m. at the same residence as the second shooting. Both residents at the home in the 4400 block of East R Street told officers they were not having issues with anyone, and they did not believe their house was targeted specifically.
The father did tell officers that his son was friends with some gang members but was not in a gang himself. On October 22 at 9:30 p.m., officers received a call about another shooting in the 2200 block of East 65th Street. While officers were reviewing surveillance footage, they learned of a new shooting less than two hours later at 11:25 p.m. at the Tacoma Recovery Cafe.
Upon arriving at the cafe, police found shell casings near unoccupied cars, empty businesses and the outside of Mary Bridge Children's Hospital, according to court documents.
A nearby security guard told police he was in his vehicle at the time and ducked when he heard gunshots. He heard a window shatter, then felt pain in his left arm and left side, possibly indicating he was injured by shattered glass or stray bullets. A witness told police she saw a gray sedan, and then a man stepped out of the vehicle and fired a handgun.
At 11:32 p.m., officers received a call about people with machine guns on the roof of the nearby KOZ apartments. When officers arrived, they found guns nearby.
The final shooting happened on November 2 at 8:02 a.m. by the Shell gas station at 901 Martin Luther King Jr. Way. Surveillance footage showed four people, including Orange, in a fight with an older man. One of the suspects, later identified as 18-year-old Treyve'onn Loder, began shooting at the man. After that, three of the suspects, including Orange, allegedly fled to the KOZ apartments, where Orange lived.
The victim was not hit, but some stray bullets did hit a residence in the 900 block of South J Street, with one of them landing three feet away from a sleeping resident's head. Police arrested Loder and an unnamed teenager on November 4. They arrested Orange later that day.
Orange pleaded guilty to two counts of drive-by shooting and 11 counts of second-degree malicious mischief, according to court records. He was sentenced to 44 months in prison, with 12 months’ credit for time already served.
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