Authorities take man into custody for murder of special needs man in Seattle’s infamous ‘CHOP’ Zone

A Washington man was apprehended in connection with last year’s death of a man in Seattle in what was known before it was cleared as Seattle’s “CHOP” Zone.

According to the U.S. Marshals Service, on July 12, law enforcement got into a brief foot chase and arrested Marcel Long, 19, in Des Moines, a city south of Seattle.

Long, who was wanted by the Seattle Police Department, is accused of the shooting death of Horace “Lil Renz” Anderson, 19, in June 2020 near the Seattle Capitol Hill Occupied Protest “CHOP” Zone.

“The defendant's willingness to fire his weapon around crowds of people, in his effort to kill Lorenzo, demonstrates the severe danger to the community and risk of harm to others,” state charging documents obtained by KING-TV. “His immediate flight also demonstrates his desire to avoid being held accountable for this crime.”

The CHOP Zone was established in downtown Seattle during the protests after the death of George Floyd and has been the site of clashes between protesters and police.

Problems between the murder suspect and victim were first sparked in 2019 after a fight they got into was posted online, FOX News reported, citing the charging documents.

Around 2 a.m. the day Anderson died, the documents state, surveillance video allegedly shows he and Long got into another altercation. Long allegedly pulled a gun on Anderson and shot at him twice.

“The U.S. Marshals Service and its task force partners will not tolerate such violence in our communities. We are committed to ensuring that dangerous fugitives are brought before the court. It is my sincere hope that this arrest brings some sense of calm to the community,” Richard Craig, Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal said.

Long faces a charge of first-degree murder and booked into the King County Correctional Facility on a $2 million bond.  

Anderson’s family, who have filed lawsuits against Seattle officials, told KING-TV through a lawyer that his death was “preventable and predictable.”

“Justice will not be served until the parties involved in the CHOPS Zone fiasco have been brought to justice,” reads a statement. “On behalf of Lorenzo’s estate and Horace Anderson [Lorenzo's father], we are committed to getting to the core of why this Black, special needs 19-year-old was left to die and bleed out on June 20, 2020.”