From the SPD report on the investigation
Police say Hickman was identified with the help of security video and witness accounts at the scene
A 23-year-old Bellevue man has been arrested by U.S. Marshals and charged with the December 31st murder of Jonny Adamow at Broadway and Pike.
The office of the King County Prosecuting Attorney says Charles Hickman has been charged with first degree murder in the deadly late night ambush in which police say Hickman was targeting another person at the busy intersection.
Hickman was arrested by federal authorities Monday and booked into King County Jail that afternoon. He is held on $2 million bail.
Police have been searching for the suspect since the night of the murder. Prosecutors say detectives were able to identify the man through “video capturing unique identifying details and information from the witnesses present at the scene.”
The Seattle Police Department report on the investigation describes the suspect determined later to be Hickman circling the area in an Infinity, allegedly staking out the area preparing for the shooting targeting individuals in a group at the intersection’s gas station.
“A man now identified as Charles Michael Hickman exited the Infinity, walked onto the property of the 76 gas station and interacted with individuals at the gas station parking lot for several minutes,” the SPD report reads. “The video showed Hickman interacting with two individuals that appeared to be associated with the group associated with the Mercedes and the Nissan.”
The surveillance system at the service station captured images of Hickman and the clothes he was wearing — a dark jacket or hooded sweatshirt, dark pants “with a distinct and unique horizontal pattern between the right knee and right hip,” and white shoes.
Police say Hickman returned to his vehicle and again circled the area before pulling into the alley between Pine and Pike near the intersection with Broadway.
A memorial to Adamow grew at the scene of the murder
“At approximately 02:53:45, Hickman stepped out from behind the pillar and raised his arm. He took what appeared to be a shooting stance and appeared to be focused to the east of his position at the 76 Station,” the detective writes. “As Hickman does this the Victim appeared to step into the line of fire. Another male bystander with a noticeable limp was crossing the street at the same time. It appears possible both men crossed in between the Hickman’s intended target and the Hickman right as he fired.”
Police say Hickman fired what investigators believe were 10 rounds. Ten fired 9mm cartridge casings were found at the scene.
One hit Adamow who died of a gunshot wound to the chest.
Adamow was 29 and is remembered as an artist and friend by loved ones and family. “Jonny was a beloved nonbinary and queer member of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, and fiercely proud of their Dominican heritage,” the Alphabet Alliance of Color group said about its memorial to Adamow on the utility pole at Pike and Broadway. The alliance said the New Yorker was “only in Seattle for a short term gig with their partner of 9 years” and asked for community support to mark their passing here.
Police say after his arrest, Hickman wrote an apology letter to the victim’s family. “I’m apologizing for my Action’s [sic] and nothing was intended for or to your boy, actualy [sic] for anyone,” police say the suspect wrote, “and wish my action’s [sic] and though process was way better than that.”
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Oh, so it wasn’t someone who drove in from somewhere else and not one of the people living on the street who get blamed in this comment section for literally anything bad that happens?
And it was a crime that was facilitated by having easy car access to get in, circle the area, illegally park in an alley, and easily drive away?
Interesting. Maybe we should think about restricting car access before immediately blaming the poorest in our society for every bad thing that happens?
Hickman III, 23, of Bellevue? Maybe he did drive in from somewhere else?
The unhoused are always blamed for the night light shootings around the Hill? I thought it was usually mentioned that drug/turf/gang issues were more often the cause of gun violence Pike/Pine.
Yeah on NYE, everyone would assume it was some punk from the suburbs driving in and causing havoc on the hill.
I honestly can’t tell if DD15 is being sarcastic or if they are that daft. The neighborhood supports assaults and violence against individuals that are arbitrarily deemed too .. rich, flashy, environmentally forward, maga, not progressive enough, property owner, and small business owner.
For me, gun shots on pike/pine are turf/disrespect/gang/drug related from individuals that don’t often live here.
“The neighborhood supports assaults and violence against individuals”
Really?
Then you have the nerve to write.
“I honestly can’t tell if DD15 is being sarcastic or if they are that daft.”???
c’mon man
Or, we could look at going back to enforcing laws on gang members and the illegal drug trade. The same drug trade that’s led to a 10x increase in OD in Seattle in the past ten years.
Still haven’t seen anything about IDing the major wholesale sources. Disrupt the chain at the top.
Maybe if there wasn’t a thriving market for the illicit substances this person likely was peddling and defending his turf over we wouldn’t be attracting the people who drive over here and shoot innocent bystanders….
Who would have guessed the world extended beyond Cap Hill? /s
However, limiting car access ignores swift entrance and egress via the easily available and dumpable EV options. 21st century.
stopping vehicles is not a crime fighting tool. They just want more walkable areas. and pin it all anything negative to cars they can.
There’d be no prostitutions if we banned cars. right?
You seem a bit dim. Drug dealers fighting over turf to dominate the lucrative drug market on Capitol Hill is the other side of the coin. The drug addicts and dealers are pretty much the entire crime crisis in the neighborhood, which has been enabled by 1) non-enforcement of drug laws, 2) de-policing 3)a housing first harm reduction approach that has attracted thousands of drug addicts to freeattle, the land of no consequences 3) stupid policies that allow drug addicts to homestead in public spaces and do whatever the hell they want, 4) no cash bail, 5) leftist judges that let career criminals back on the streets over and over and over again.
It’s such a shame. We could make most of this crime disappear practically overnight by simply allowing *all* recreational drugs to be sold in a safe, legal, and regulated way, as we have successfully done with alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco. Prohibition never works…
Leftist Judges, lmao
You gotta make it sound rational to one’s self to make it all true. They crystalize into facts outta nothing but wet and steamy bullshit.
With a tag like “Reality”?
9 outta 10 times it is a alt right voter. They all parrot the same propaganda regardless of facts.
“1) non-enforcement of drug laws”. During Covid? Yup, it was killing people so we didn’t jail them.
“2) de-policing”
This is a popular one. Easy to remember, gets MAGA blood boiling, gets voters to the polls. It’s NOT HAPPENED! THEY GOT RAISES AND BONUSES! FOR DOING NOTHING!!!! oh wait…Crime went up when they all quit or quiet quit. And pandemic. Crime has gone down significantly since. It’s a miracle. That’s reality
your opinion on #3. It’s more propaganda. “housing first” doesn’t mean “harboring addicts and enabling their behaviors.”. It’s ME. The disabled 0351 on the street. Living in a vehicle was a luxury. Commiting suicide at the rate of 22 a day. On this issue I’d suggest getting educated.
“4) no cash bail”…Guess what? No increase in crime on no cash bails. Where’s the people on no cash bail reigning chaos???? They do not exist.
“5) leftist judges that let career criminals back on the streets over and over and over again.”
Another trope always parroted.
Who are the judges that let Trump off the hook? Is currently destroying the rule of law? Who is taking away rights one after the other for the first time in history since the Civil War and the Civil Rights movement.
What is wrong with America? People like you who fight for MAGA values.
This is so extremely tragic, I’m devastated for the victim and their family/friends. The loss and the trauma are deeply sad.
For the future, I really hope the city immediately moves to remove the Gas Station on that corner. It serves extremely limited support for the community, and attracts criminals to the center of the bar/restaurant scene. There’s absolutely no need to have a gas station there – and the community would be served significantly better with literally anything in its place: housing, more restaurant/bar spaces, retail, literally anything.
The problem with gas stations is the environmental remediation you need to do to turn them into something other than a gas station. A gas station parcel is effectively worthless for any other purpose.
I’m also not sure it’s fair to blame the station for attracting “criminals” – it’s a busy corner, and people are bound to gather wherever there’s light and space. I doubt the composition of the crowd would be any different if the parcel was turned into a pedestrian plaza.
I give you the recent Hilltop development on 15th Ave East. So much for worthless gas station development sites. That said, eliminating the gas station is not the answer. Better surveillance of the people who gather there and the other problem places, plus actual law enforcement would help to solve the problems there. And compliments to the law enforcement officers who investigated this crime and seem to have found it’s perpetrator.
I suppose to new comers, … the 700 Broadway Apartments and (chhip) Broadway Crossing Apartments- know that you are sitting on former gas stations of the past 25 years.
I agree that eliminating the gas station across from Harvard Market would not solve anything. Also with the limited numbers of gas pumps available on Capitol Hill as of now April 2025 its’ removal would create a hardship for those residents &/or employees nearby whose circumstances require them to own &/or share the use of cars to go to jobs, school, appointments, etc frequently everyday.
People that live nearby may still want to buy gas. You’re penalizing a legitimate business over the refusal to enforce law on the gang and drug economy.
I don’t think that’s how cities work, despite your multiple postings about wanting this gas station to close. There’s no need for YOU to have a gas station there. Other residents might want it around for…I don’t know…gas, maybe.
I’ve never not seen it doing a decent business.
they charge tax on everything in that store. All of it.
chyaa ikr? it’s a money printer disguised as a gas station.
They charge tax on everything in the store and do not accept SNAP.
It’s a scam. I’d never step foot on their property. 7/11 is just up the street.
Go to qfc across the street. If someone doesn’t realize that a gas station charges a premium price for items, good.
Those at Pride Place, put up a hand written note at the mail boxes saying QFC accepts SNAP and doesn’t tax everything. Add arrow that says, “south, just cross the street.0
Or for an adventure, a sign that says, “ walk to end of block, go to Walgreens.”
7-11 because it’s 24 hour. That’s why I mentioned it. I go to QFC and Walgreens.
There’s no reason for anyone to go there other than overpriced gas.
People who live on Capitol Hill need to be able to buy gas. There aren’t that many gas stations on the hill.
There’s a bajillion gas stations on the hill. Several on Madison. Several on 12th. One north on Broadway. It would be OK to see this turned into something better than a gas station, IMO.
So we are blaming cars and gas stations for this shooting? OK fam.
Didn’t you know? That is what they do here. Banning cars and gas stations is the answer to everything.
Protect criminals by not cooperating with cops and set criminals free right?
Completely shocked… that SPD with the help of Marshalls office actually did something and found the perpetrator’s. That gas station always has bad people around and should be shut down.
Might have had better outcomes over the years if the franchise had been a responsible community member and risen to the challenges (strong security, property redesign. etc.
The gas station has bad people around it, so we should shut the gas station down?
Why not simply shut the bad people down? Do you think the gas station owners WANT bad people there?
That letter screams illiterate and empty minded with no foresight. Sorry excuse for a human. Lock him up for life.
It also indicts our society for having such a poor education system and an elitist plutocratic economy with many disenfranchised and left out.
I can’t count the number of times I’ve wanted to kill someone and there was just no convenient place to park so I just decided not to do it and became an upstanding citizen instead. Ban the cars!
Yeah I’m not buying any of the story! More over, where is the update on Kenji the black trans woman who was murders Pride Sunday, Monday morning at 12 something Am?
SPD often gets a bad rap here. We forget (or ignore) that they often do really good work.
Yes
US Marshals. SPD was up the street sitting on their hands as usual.
miss you Jonny ❤️
Oh he’s sorry. For what? That he wasn’t a better shot? Put this guy away.