A gaming system feud ends with a man hit by a car and a shotgun blast in Richland

A 20-year-old man charged with firing a shotgun at a rival during a chase said he only meant to scare the guy.

Christopher I. Carroll told police he didn’t know the gun was loaded when he took aim at Karion H. Thomas at a park near Richland High School.

Thomas, who already had been hit by a car during the chase, was wounded by the blast.

He was able to get away and flag down a person near the high school to drive him to the hospital.

He had injuries to his legs, butt and back. An X-ray showed 20 metal pellets in his body from the bird-shot type ammunition.

On Tuesday, Carroll pleaded innocent in Benton County Superior Court to first-degree assault for the Sept. 15 incident.

The Kennewick man was ordered held on $250,000 bail. Trial is set for Nov. 12.

Co-defendant Robert “Bobby” W. Hore, the car’s driver, already appeared on his first-degree assault charge, and has trial scheduled Nov. 4.

Hore, 20, of Kennewick, has bail set at $100,000.

His lawyer, Karla Kane Hudson, plans to argue for a reduction Wednesday, while Deputy Prosecutor Laurel Holland will ask for an increase based on new evidence reportedly uncovered by investigators.

Hore’s assault allegation is for running over Thomas. Carroll’s assault is for allegedly firing a 12-gauge shotgun at him.

The first call to 911 emergency dispatchers came in at 7:45 p.m. about a car crash near Richland High. A caller then reported hearing a shot fired.

Police arrived to find Hore’s Hyundai still running, but empty with the front end smashed into a retaining wall in the park. The airbags had been deployed.

Hore was found nearby in a car after calling a relative to say he was in trouble and needed a ride, court documents said.

The relative reportedly told police that there was trouble between Hore and Thomas over the theft of a gaming system.

Hore, in his interview with officers, claimed he was at the park to play basketball and drove his car out onto the court to play music. He claimed he damaged his car trying to do “burnouts” on the court and losing control.

Police say his story was contradicted by several witnesses.

Hore’s girlfriend reported they’d been sitting in the car when Hore suddenly accelerated across the court toward Thomas.

The two men argued and ended with Thomas challenging Hore, she said.

Hore got back into the car and chased Thomas through the park, and she tried to get out of the car but Hore locked the doors with she and Carroll inside.

She said she was disoriented by the airbags in the crash, and didn’t know if the Hyundai actually hit Thomas.

She said the men have an ongoing feud.

Caroll claims Hore handed him the shotgun during the chase in the car. He said he fell out when the car hit the retaining wall, but he still had the gun, documents said.

Thomas said he was trying to get away when he felt the impact of a shotgun round, documents said.

Officers were investigating at the park when they got word that Thomas was at Kadlec Regional Medical Center with an injured ankle and gunshot wounds.

Surveillance video from the high school reportedly shows the car crash, a man jump up from the area and run away, and another man with a shotgun taking aim and firing.

Carroll surrendered to police days later.