Documents reveal possible motive in deadly Richland shooting

A 27-year-old man is suspected of killing an acquaintance over allegations the victim inappropriately touched his girlfriend.

Jonathan M. Rodriguez admitted shooting Joshua R. Gibson in the chest when he refused to get into an SUV outside a Richland hotel, according to court documents.

Rodriguez — who’s also known as “Grumpy” — confronted Gibson hours after getting a text message from his girlfriend, documents said.

The woman had been dating Rodriguez for about a week before Saturday’s deadly shooting in the parking lot of a Richland hotel.

She claimed that earlier that morning, she was sleeping in a Kennewick apartment and woke up to find Gibson there. She then told Rodriguez about the alleged contact via text message.

A $1 million nationwide warrant has been issued for Rodriguez.

The convicted felon is charged in Benton County Superior Court with first-degree murder with a semi-automatic handgun and second-degree unlawful gun possession.

Charging papers state that Gibson was killed during an actual or attempted kidnapping.

Co-defendant Michael G. Cook is jailed on suspicion of first-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping. His bail was set at $1 million during a Monday court appearance.

Prosecutors allege Cook, 43, drove Rodriguez to and away from the Riverfront Hotel in a black 1995 Chevrolet Tahoe.

He was arrested about 45 minutes later following an unrelated traffic stop by West Richland police.

In the process of securing and impounding the Chevrolet, officers saw a dark-colored mask in the front passenger area that matched the one worn by Rodriguez at the shooting scene, court documents said.

Gibson, 39, was a Tri-Cities resident who reportedly moved around a lot. He was last living in Kennewick, according to Benton County Coroner Bill Leach.

Richland police found a dying Gibson in the parking lot of the former Shilo Inn after receiving calls about gunshots at 10:16 a.m. Saturday. Officers and paramedics were unable to save him.

Several witnesses told detectives how Gibson had arrived at the hotel a short time before the confrontation with Rodriguez and Cook. Their statements were backed up by the Riverfront Hotel’s video surveillance, documents said.

Gibson was visiting some hotel guests when a gun-toting and mask-wearing Rodriguez ordered him to the parked SUV, court documents said.

Rodriguez got into the Chevrolet, followed by Gibson, but then Gibson hopped back out. A witness, who reported hearing a loud slap or smack come from inside the SUV, said Gibson told the Chevrolet’s occupants he would not get in if he was going to be hit, documents said.

Gibson also was overheard telling someone to tell his friend not to hit him.

Witnesses said two gunshots followed loud arguing. A number of people reported seeing Gibson fall to the ground just before the SUV sped away on Comstock Street.