'I’m still mourning:' Father of 19-year-old killed inside CHOP shares feelings on $500K settlement

SEATTLE - Next Monday marks two years since 19-year-old Lorenzo Anderson was shot and killed in the former Capitol Hill Occupied Protest Zone (CHOP). 

His father, Horace Lorenzo Anderson, said he has carried his son in his heart every day since that day in 2020.

"Every time that day comes up, it just seems like a repeat. It’s not an easy thing. It’s not a today it happens, tomorrow it’s over with, you know? You live with this. You go through this daily," said Horace Anderson. 

Anderson’s dad filed a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of his son, claiming city leaders encouraged people to break the law inside CHOP and undermine the safety of others.

The city of Seattle paid a $500,000 settlement.

"[Horace] wanted to wake up the city. He wanted to wake up our city officials, and he really wants to bridge the gap," said Evan Oshan, lawyer for Horace Anderson and the Estate of Lorenzo Anderson.

"We’re glad to have found common ground with the Anderson Estate and Mr. Anderson's father, and for less than the cost it would have taken to litigate the case through trial. The settlement agreement we reached months ago was recently approved by the court. We hope this resolution helps bring some semblance of closure for the parties involved," said a spokesperson for the Seattle City Attorney’s Office.

"The money doesn’t really mean too much for me, I mean, my son is still gone," said Horace. "If I could help another family, that would be beautiful because I wouldn’t want anybody to go through this."

Moving forward, Horace hopes to create a legacy of supporting youth in his son’s memory. Oshan reached out to Mayor Bruce Harrell’s Office on Wednesday offering Horace’s time and energy to reduce violence and help homeless youth.

"There’s a lot of misdirected anger and frustration on the street and a unique person like Horace Anderson can do a tremendous amount of good for the community," said Oshan.

Another lawsuit was filed by Anderson’s mother, Donnitta Sinclair, that was appealed. 

"Donnitta and I feel that the settlement of the state lawsuit is only partial accountability for Seattle," said Mark Lindquist, lawyer for Sinclair. "We look forward to full accountability in the federal lawsuit being heard by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals."

The court is expected to hear oral arguments on that case by early fall.