A shooting that shattered a family and cut short the life of a promising Portland State University athlete ended Wednesday with an unusual sentence. 

Six years after the Aug. 2, 2019 killing of Deante Strickland, 22, both state and defense said there was no understandable motive for the actions of the killer, his sister Tamena Strickland. 

Multnomah County Circuit Judge Nan Waller sentenced the woman, now 37, to a lifetime of supervision by the Psychiatric Security Review Board after finding her guilty but insane of a murder charge. 

In what’s known as a “split sentence,” Tamena Strickland also faces a 22-year prison term that will run concurrently with her hospitalization. If the review board finds that she no longer needs institutional-level care, she must serve the remainder of those years in prison, with credit for time served. 

Senior prosecutor Melissa Marrero told the packed courtroom a series of doctors had found that Tamena Strickland experienced schizophrenia and delusional disorder. 

Marrero said the woman fatally shot her brother in the chest during a confrontation at the family’s Cully neighborhood home, and wounded her aunt and grandmother, who are both named Shirley Strickland. 

“They were innocent victims. There was no reason for this to have happened to them,” the prosecutor said. “What happened has left a gaping hole in this family.” 

Portland State Vikings guard and former Central Catholic High School football and basketball star Deante Strickland. (Photo by Megan Connelly)

After a promising start on the Central Catholic football team, Deante Strickland went on to play basketball for Casper College in Wyoming, then returned to PSU and excelled on both basketball and football teams for the Vikings. 

Wearing a shirt reading “StrickCity,” his mother, Teresa White, told the courtroom she was heartened by the memorial tributes still displayed at the state university campus. The killing has left her forever wondering what her son might have accomplished had he lived. 

“They still put my son up on billboards,” she said. “That light still shines.” 

Family members also discussed the trauma felt by the wounded aunt, who was pregnant at the time, and the grandmother. The elder Shirley was never the same and died four years later, family said. 

Edee Johnson, an aunt, said she grew up as close as a sister to her nephew Deante Strickland. He became a natural leader as he grew older, she recalled, once convincing most of his PSU teammates to come over and get a haircut at her house. 

“If Strick does it, we’ll do it,” she recalled the team saying, using her nephew’s nickname. “He had so much influence, he probably didn’t even realize it.” 

Defense attorney Robert Crow said Tamena Strickland was remorseful despite an impassive appearance caused by her medication. 

Tamena Strickland herself spoke only one word, “no,” as quiet as a whisper, when the judge asked if she had any questions. 

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.