Teen mother is shot and killed within blocks of 3 Sunnyside schools. ‘Heartbroken’

A young mother was killed Tuesday afternoon in a shooting near Sunnyside High after she was hit by gunfire in a car. The shooting and search for a gunman forced lockdowns at three nearby schools.

Isabel M. Rodriguez, 18, died later from the gunshot wounds at Sunnyside Hospital.

The mom of a young boy was a Sunnyside native and worked in a restaurant, according to a funeral home death notice.

“We are all heartbroken by the loss ....,” said a GoFundMe account created by Yassarett Rodriguez.

The shooting happened about 3:20 p.m. on the 1600 block of North Avenue, Sunnyside police said in a release. Officers arrived to find Rodriguez wounded inside a car.

They tried to save her life but she died later at the hospital.

No other information, including if she was alone in the car or was a passenger, was released on Wednesday.

The Sunnyside School District locked down Sierra Vista Middle School, Sun Valley Elementary and Sunnyside High School while police searched the area for the gunman. The three schools are within a half mile of the scene of the shooting.

The security measures were lifted after half an hour, though Outlook Elementary students who lived in the area of the shooting needed to be picked up from school.

As police were investigating the shooting, someone reported a burglary happening about a half-mile away on the 400 block of North Rouse Road.

Two people were found by the homeowners. They held one person at gunpoint and a second person, armed with a gun, fled, Sunnyside police said.

When officers arrived, they determined the 18-year-old from Mabton being held at gunpoint was tied to the homicide. Officers attempted to use dogs to track the other suspect but weren’t able to find him.

No information was released on the two suspects.

The homicide and other shootings prompted Police Chief Rob Layman to reinstate the department’s street crimes unit to focus on arresting gang members, said a news release.