Pacific community grieves; benefit planned for Drott
Nov 17 2008
A memorial basketball game will be held Friday to honor slain Shiloh Drott, who grew up in Pacific, and support his family.
The game will be held at the City of Pacific Gymnasium, 122 Third Ave. SE.
The event is open to the pubic. Donations will be collected for the Drott memorial fund.
"It is not the memorial, but one of the memorials for him," said Mayor Richard Hildreth.
"Shiloh was universally loved by everyone in this community," Hildreth added. "He was known to mentor many young aspiring basketball players and was a great role model, even for adults."
Activities will begin at 6 p.m. Friday. A barbecue is being organized in association with the pickup game among Drott's friends, police officers and firefighters from the Pacific area.
The popular and respected 21-year-old Drott, who grew up in Pacific and graduated from Auburn Riverside High School, was gunned down at a church-sponsored late-night youth event at the Pacific Community Center this past Friday.
According to police, a man walked up and fired several shots at the window of the center, killing Drott.
Drott, witnesses said, pushed others down and out of the line of fire during the shooting before being struck himself.
Police said Drott was hit in the chest by a shot from a 9mm handgun. When they arrived, the young man was dead.
Three men were arrested at a nearby house and processed at King County Jail on Saturday on suspicion of first-degree murder. The 22-year-old man from Kent had warrants from prior firearm and reckless driving convictions. The other two men, ages 19 and 20 and both from Pacific, had previous arrests for assault.
Bail was set Monday. The 22-year-old man and one 19-year-old were held in lieu of $1 million bail at Kent's Regional Justice Center. The third suspect, the 20-year-old, was held in lieu of $500,000 bail.
The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has until Wednesday to file charges.
Hildreth said there was an altercation at a convenience store across the street from the center. It is unknown whether the altercation was connected directly to the shooting, if at all.
The incident remains under investigation.
Drott wasn't involved in the altercation, according to friends and some witnesses, who contend he wasn't the target of the shooting.
Meanwhile, city officials and leaders are coordinating preliminary efforts to clean up and rebuild the damaged east room of the community center. The center, part of a complex that includes City Hall, is located less than half a block from the police station.
"We want to rebuild it in his name," Hildreth said. "We want to rebuild it the way Shiloh would want it.
"Shiloh was a big part of the community. He was such a mentor ... a big brother to others."
For those who wish to volunteer labor and materials to the project, call Hildreth at his office (253-929-1108) or e-mail him at pacificmayor@aol.com.
In addition, a fund to help Drott’s family has been established and donations are being accepted at Rainier Pacific and Columbia bank branches.
- Civil
- Smart
- On-topic
- Free of profanity
We ask that all participants own their words by registering for an account. It's a simple process that will take seconds and helps keep our comments free of trolls, cranks, and drive-by commenters.
As a community site, we ask that the community help by using the "Flag" button on each comment if they feel the comment has violated the rules. You can also use the up and down arrows on each comment to voice your opinion about that particular comment.
Want to tell us something but you don't want it to be public? Talk to us privately.
