‘They took our boy’: Family offers reward, begs for tips six years after 18-year-old killed in Rainier Beach
May 6, 2026, 5:02 AM
This week’s KIRO Cold Case Project focuses on the murder of Connor Dassa Holland. It happened on Mother’s Day six years ago, and as another Mother’s Day approaches, no one has been arrested.
After what Connor’s mom describes as a wonderful Mother’s Day, Connor was gunned down in front of his family’s home in Seattle’s Rainier Beach neighborhood. He was an 18-year-old student at Rainier Beach High School. He was involved in student government and was the captain of the football team when he was killed.
It happened the night of Mother’s Day in 2020.
“It’s late at night. Dad asked Connor to move the car … Connor goes and does that. Dad hears shots, and their son was fatally shot in front of their home in Rainier Beach on 51st South and died in his parents’ arms,” Crimestoppers of Puget Sound Executive Director Jim Fuda said.
Connor’s mom, Alicia Dassa, said her son had gone outside just before 10 p.m. to move her car to a closer parking spot.
“Just before 10 o’clock, shots were fired,” she said. “I didn’t even get out of bed because we hear shots regularly. Connor had gone out to move my car around the block. A parking spot had opened up in front of the house, and so he went down in basketball shorts and slides to move my car. He ran out to the car and came around the block. Shots were fired. A bullet entered the driver’s side window of my car and struck Connor in the head.”
Connor’s father, Jimmy, was the first to reach the car.
“Jimmy went out to the car, and the car was still running, so the doors were locked,” Alicia said. “He had to punch the window out of the car. Connor was slumped over the steering wheel. By that point, I was walking across the street to find out what had happened, and Jimmy met me about halfway and said someone shot our boy.”
RELATED STORIES
‘Someone knows who did this’: Crimestoppers offers reward in Rainier Beach shooting
Fuda said the shooting appeared to be a drive-by. He noted that even though a camera caught a vehicle driving away, authorities have no tips.
“A ring camera caught a black vehicle driving away. There is a video that the detectives have,” he explained. “We have no tips. It hasn’t been solved yet … Someone knows who did this, and we’d like to get this solved for the family.”
Alicia said Connor’s death didn’t just take her son, it took away everything he would have become.
“They took away the other person who’s supposed to be in our pictures. They took away him being an uncle, him getting married. They took away someone’s best friend, someone’s first love. They took our boy,” she said.
Police believe someone knows who killed Connor Dassa Holland.
Crimestoppers has a reward of up to $1,000, and the family has pitched in another $2,700 for information that leads to an arrest and charges.
So, whether you do it for the money or because it’s the right thing to do, pick up the phone and call Crimestoppers at 800-222-TIPS and remember, you can remain anonymous.
Follow James Lynch on X. Read more of his stories here. Submit news tips here.
