16-year-old killed at Kennewick apartments. Gangs may be involved

A 16-year-old died in a shooting in the parking lot of a Kennewick apartment complex Wednesday night.

Witnesses called 911 about 7:20 p.m. to report gunfire at the Heatherstone Apartments, 1114 W. 10th Ave., confirmed police Commander Isaac Merkl.

When officers arrived, they found the wounded teen outside but couldn’t save his life.

There were initial reports of a shootout in the parking lot, but Merkl told the Herald on Thursday morning that detectives are still investigating what happened.

“We had detectives out there through the night, processing the scene and collecting evidence,” Merkl said. “It’s a very active investigation.”

Merkl told the Herald that gangs appear to be involved in the shooting.

The teen had some previous contacts with police, but it’s not clear if he was involved with gangs.

It’s also unknown if he was living in the Tri-Cities at the moment. Officers knew him to have moved in and out of the area.

An autopsy is planned for Friday, Benton County Coroner Bill Leach said.

Sgt. Stephen Wolosin told the Herald on Wednesday night that the shooting initially appeared to be a targeted attack.

And police were attempting to find multiple suspects, who may have fled in a sedan.

Police are asking for any help identifying who was involved.

“We’re asking anyone with information to come forward so we can identify more leads and our investigators can follow that up,” Merkl said.

Anyone with information can call the non-emergency dispatch number at 509-628-0333 or leave a tip at kpdtips.com.

This story is developing. It will be updated.

This story was originally published December 3, 2025 at 9:41 PM.