Man was intoxicated, playing with gun before fatally shooting his former partner in NE Portland, prosecutors say

Donnell Lamarr Watson, 43, pleaded not guilty on Monday in Multnomah County Circuit Court to a domestic violence manslaughter charge after prosecutors say he accidentally shot his former partner while playing with a gun inside a home in Northeast Portland’s Glenfair neighborhood.

Officers responded to the home on Northeast 160th Avenue between Glisan and Burnside streets where they found Shamesha Danaee Allen, 45, fatally shot. When officers asked who fired at Allen, several people pointed at Watson, who was standing nearby, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Allen and Watson had previously been in a relationship for over 25 years but were no longer together, the affidavit states.

Watson told investigators he had arrived at the home around 6 p.m. after drinking at a bar for several hours. He picked up a gun, thinking it was a toy, and started playing with it and pointing it at people, despite people asking him to stop, according to the affidavit. It’s unclear who the gun belonged to.

The gun went off as Watson was pointing it at Allen, court records show.

Watson’s and Allen’s daughter and her boyfriend were inside the home and told police they heard a single gunshot, and the boyfriend said he saw Watson holding a gun. Both said they believed Watson fired on accident, the affidavit states.

Watson was charged with first-degree manslaughter constituting domestic violence and felon in possession of a firearm. He is being held at the Multnomah County Detention Center on $50,000 bail.

Allen’s death marked the 65th homicide in Portland so far this year, compared with 91 at this point last year, a record-breaking year for homicides in the city.

Twelve women have been killed so far this year in Portland, and all but two of the city’s seven most recent homicide victims have been women.

Despite the recent cluster, the percentage of female homicide victims so far this year — 18% — is in keeping with the figure from last year, when 18 of 101 homicide victims were women.

READ:Who has died in 2023 homicides

Police ask anyone with information to contact Detective Brian Sims at 503-823-2079 and or Detective Meghan Burkeen at 503-823-2092 and , referencing case number 23-300353.

- Catalina Gaitán, ,