A comprehensive investigation into the June 29, 2020 shooting death of Antonio Mays Jr. at Capitol Hill Occupied Protest (CHOP) in Seattle has examined video evidence from the incident. Mays, 16, was killed when he arrived at the protest zone in a stolen white Jeep alongside two other teenagers. An 18-month investigation by The Seattle Times, KUOW, and NPR’s Embedded podcast reviewed more than a dozen videos from the night to document how events unfolded.
Mays had traveled to Seattle from Southern California three days earlier to participate in racial justice protests following George Floyd’s death. On the night in question, security volunteers at CHOP—armed civilians operating in the absence of police—grew panicked upon spotting the stolen Jeep circling near tents. A forensic analyst later determined that surveillance footage showed no gunshots originating from the Jeep, with all identified shots being fired at the vehicle by individuals in a silver Nissan Pathfinder. At least 15 shots were fired during an initial confrontation before the Jeep returned to CHOP’s encampment, where additional gunfire erupted as the vehicle crashed into a barricade. Witnesses described someone firing into the passenger side at close range.
No guns, ammunition, or shell casings were ever recovered from Mays or the other teenagers in the vehicle. Despite the extensive video documentation of the incident, the case has remained unsolved with no arrests or charges filed more than six years later. Seattle police have indicated the investigation remains active but have declined to release additional surveillance footage recorded by cameras on the abandoned police precinct that directly overlooked the shooting scene.
The handling of the crime scene complicated any official investigation. Within minutes of the shooting, dozens of people surrounded the vehicle, with some openly discussing collecting shell casings before police arrived. Police officers responding to the scene were instructed by incident commanders not to approach the Jeep, and homicide detectives did not process it until approximately four hours after the incident. Officers subsequently reported the crime scene had been disturbed.
Investigators have indicated that solving the case depends on witnesses from CHOP coming forward. Dozens of people interviewed during the investigation either claimed no knowledge or refused to discuss what they witnessed. The lack of cooperation from the protest community has proven a significant obstacle to identifying and charging those responsible for the shooting.
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