PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Alphonzo Johnson and his wife, Virginia, were sleeping inside their Southeast Portland home on the morning of April 19 when the gunshots started flying. Multiple bullets struck their two vehicles. One flew through the home and into the Johnson’s bedroom. Another one broke through the front door’s window frame before it pierced the neck of their dog, Bam Bam, sending him to a veterinary facility where he eventually recovered.
The attempted murderers, according to a probable cause affidavit filed on April 23, were Anthony Wade Skillings and Dustin Clifford Melbourne. And they were on a retaliation mission, Johnson believed and Skillings would later admit to police, according to the affidavit.
On Dec. 28, Portland police responded to reports of a staggering man on SE Clinton Street. When they arrived, they found Jonathon Lehman unconscious. He was taken to the hospital where he later died.
A homicide investigation began. Police eventually arrested Johnson for 2nd-degree manslaughter and 2nd-degree assault. Those charges were dismissed just over a month later.
That didn’t change anything in Melbourne’s mind, Skillings told police. Skillings, according to the affidavit, explained Melbourne was close to Lehman and he “had been wanting to get revenge” against Johnson for Lehman’s death.
That attempt at revenge would come on April 19.
On that morning, before the shooting, Skillings told police Melbourne drove him to the foster home where Skillings’ children lived. Melbourne “threatened to hurt them if Skillings did not go shoot up Alphonzo Johnson’s home with him,” Skillings told police, according to the affidavit.
Later on, at the intersection of SE 93rd Avenue and Henry Street, security footage from a neighbors home showed a Jeep pulling up to the Johnson’s home. Then, a passenger — later identified by police as Skillings — wearing a red shirt and red baseball hat, stuck out his arm and started firing, the affidavit states. The security footage had audio with it, too. Police believe, from the sound of the shooting spree, that another firearm of a different caliber may have also been involved.
Skillings was arrested later that day by police. He was originally arraigned on April 23 and indicted on attempted murder charges with Melbourne on Monday.
Melbourne was arrested on May 5 after he led officers on a police chase through Portland and Gresham. A probable cause affidavit said Melbourne drove into oncoming traffic 5 times during the chase. The affidavit also said Melbourne hit a victim’s vehicle and caused damage to it before he continue eluding police.
Melbourne will be in court next on May 15.