Woman mourns her brother on the day his killer is sentenced in Pierce County court
A man has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for a fatal shooting at an apartment complex near Tacoma. Relatives of the victim said he lived with schizophrenia, a mental illness.
Xavier Black, 29, pleaded guilty Friday in Pierce County Superior Court to first-degree manslaughter and first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm. Superior Court Judge Joseph Evans sentenced Black the same day, handing him a sentence within the standard range for defendants tried in similar cases. The maximum possible sentence was life in prison.
The defendant was accused of shooting and killing 21-year-old Lino Shepard on Nov. 5, 2020 at an apartment in the 2400 block of 100th Street Court South. Shepard was shot in the neck and chest and died at the scene.
Black fled but was arrested later that day. Pierce County Sheriff’s Department deputies took him into custody at an apartment complex about six miles away in Steilacoom.
The victim’s sister, 26-year-old Krystal Shepard, attended Black’s sentencing alongside her brother’s mother and other family members.
In an interview with The News Tribune, Krystal Shepard called her brother’s killer “evil” and said she wanted him behind bars for the rest of his life.
“My brother was only 21 years old,” Shepard said. “He just was starting to be able to live his life. He took that from him.”
Black has a criminal history in Pierce and Skagit counties, according to court records. He was sentenced in 2017 to 17 months in prison after being accused of assault for breaking a toddler’s arm in Lakewood. Other convictions include fourth-degree domestic-violence assault and tampering with a witness.
Krystal Shepard said her brother was a smart and funny person who would do anything to make sure his family was happy. She said her brother had dreams of being a rapper. She recalled him sitting and reading a dictionary just to expand his lyrical vocabulary.
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According to charging documents, the defendant was at the apartment that day because a man engaged to Shepard’s sister brought a friend and Black there to hang out and smoke. While they were hanging out, Shepard kept “mean mugging” Black, records say.
Prosecutors wrote in charging papers that the man engaged to the victim’s sister tried to calm the situation, but moments after he went into a bedroom in the apartment, Black shot Shepard. According to the probable cause document, Black used a CZ-83 9 mm Makarov, which was later found hidden beneath a mattress in the bedroom.
The victim’s sister told investigators Shepard was schizophrenic and that his behavior could sometimes be considered odd. On Friday, Krystal Shepard said her brother could sometimes look like he wasn’t happy.
“He’s just in his head so it’s just a blank stare,” Shepard said. “He’s not even realizing he’s doing it, and then as soon as you talk to him he has the biggest smile.”
Krystal Shepard said she didn’t think the defendant killed her brother over a mean look. She said she thought Black was paranoid and that he could have “snapped” on anyone that day.
Since her brother’s death, Krystal Shepard said family and friends have organized several candlelight vigils to honor him. She said they gather near the spot where her brother was killed and play his favorite music, songs by Tupac Shakur such as “Life Goes On.”
In some ways, Krystal Shepard said, her brother’s killing has brought their family close together.
“It definitely helps us think twice about fighting over something stupid,” she said. “Because literally, you know, anything could happen.”
