Gang Shooting In Kennewick

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Story Published: Jun 25, 2009 at 5:45 PM PST

By Kyle Trompeter

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KENNEWICK -- “Before I knew it, I heard some shots going, bang, bang, bang, bang," said Kamiakin Apartment resident, Orlando Gonzalez.

A gang shooting at the Kamiakin Apartments sent two people to the hospital. Hours later, neighbors were still shaken up.

“You never know who's going to knock on your door and what's going to happen,” said Gonzalez.

Despite the bullet holes, police tell Action News this area isn't a danger zone.

“Apartment complexes are not any worse than anywhere else. The location is not the issue. Its rival gang members,” said Kennewick police officer, Ken Lattin.

The numbers don't lie. Violent crime is up 30 percent this year alone. Under that umbrella, assault is the big one that sticks out. That single crime is also up 30 percent this year. As of now, there have been 17 more assaults than in the same period last year. Arson, robbery, and rape are also up. Cops point to gangs.

“We have seen an increase and not just in Kennewick. These guys do not respect boundaries. In fact, one victim is from Mesa up the valley and one is from Pasco,” said Lattin.

If this one shooting was random, Action News wanted to know about the hotspots.

“We track certain gang locations. We know where some gangs are living and we pay attention to those,” said Lattin.

Police admit they change so often it's hard to say which spots are consistent problems.
But if you see anything suspicious, they want you to call.

“If they are flying their colors or flashing gang signs and look like they are intimidating people, call us. We'd love to come introduce ourselves,” said Lattin.

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