Shooting of 17-year-old at Kennewick apartments believed gang-related

Kennewick police believe the daylight shooting of a 17-year-old at an apartment complex on Sunday afternoon is gang-related.

The teen appeared to be the target of the shooting outside the Heatherstone Apartments near Park Middle School.

But, as of Monday morning, no suspects had been arrested, Commander Ryan Kelly told the Tri-City Herald.

The teen reportedly suffered three gunshot wounds and underwent surgery Sunday night at Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland, said Kelly. The victim’s name has not been made public.

Kennewick investigators are still trying to find the assailants who wounded the teen about 1:15 p.m. near the Q building at the 10th Avenue apartment complex, said Kelly.

Detectives worked into the night questioning witnesses, and gathering evidence from the complex.

It’s believed the youth who was shot has ties to gangs, and may have been involved in an earlier dispute at the apartment complex, Kelly said.

Kelly said no one else was wounded.

A 16-year-old was killed in the parking lot of the same complex on Dec. 3.

Two teens — Jacob Carrillo, 15, and Israel Hutchison, 14, are charged with first-degree murder in Benton-Franklin Juvenile Court. Prosecutors are asking for the cases to be moved to adult court.

Another man, Javier J. Ruiz-Cordova, 30, of Kennewick, is charged with drive-by shooting after he allegedly opened fire April 6, causing property damage but not injuring anyone.