Man who shot 14-year-old from a car near Columbia Center ordered to prison
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- A 22-year-old man pleaded guilty to second-degree assault and illegal firearm possession.
- Prosecutors and defense agreed to an exceptional six-year sentence which the judge.
- The gunshot injured the 14-year-old and ended his ability to play football.
A 22-year-old man is heading to a state prison after chasing down and shooting a young teen outside Men’s Warehouse in Kennewick.
Bryan De Los Santos said at a recent hearing that his more than three years spent in the Benton County jail has opened his eyes, and he doesn’t want to end up behind bars again.
But Judge David Petersen pointed out that De Los Santos didn’t apologize for his role in the October 2022 shooting.
“Until you find a sorry in there, you’re not going to change your ways,” he said.
De Los Santos pleaded guilty in Benton County Superior Court to second-degree assault and illegally possessing a firearm. While the charges would normally carry a sentence of three to four years in prison, prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed to an exceptional sentence of six years. And the judge agreed.
Deputy Prosecutor Kristin McRoberts said the agreement means that the victim and two friends won’t need to testify. But if he gets in trouble again, he’ll face an even longer term.
“It’s completely despicable and cowardly to chase down a 14-year-old with a gun and shoot him,” she said.
The victim’s mother said there was no reason why he should have been shot that day. The bullet shattered his leg, requiring surgery and stripping him of the ability to play football, which he loved, she said.
“Our family has had to live with pain that did not end on the day of the shooting,” she wrote in a letter to the judge.
Defense attorney Ian Sinclair said his client was only 18 at the time and was still learning not to act on his impulses. He believes De Los Santos has matured.
“He’s been thoughtful. He’s been patient. He has a strong connection to this family. It’s difficult to reconcile the charges with the person. .... I genuinely hope that I don’t ever see him back here again,” said Sinclair.
Men’s Warehouse shooting
Shortly before 6 p.m. on Oct. 28, 2022, a gray Dodge Charger pulled up to some teens they didn’t know in the parking lot behind Men’s Warehouse and near Bed, Bath and Beyond, across from Columbia Center mall, investigators said.
The victims were wearing red, which can denote gang membership, but there is nothing indicating the teens belonged to a gang.
De Los Santos pointed a gun that looked like an “assault rifle” from the passenger seat of the car, court documents said. The victims ran through the parking lot while the car circled. He fired five shots, one hit the 14-year-old in the leg.
Police later seized a “ghost gun” 9mm pistol from De Los Santos’ car and ammunition matching the rifle from his bedroom.
At the time of the shooting, the restaurant and parking lot were both full of other customers, said police.
The Charger fled but the driver Adrian Cole, 24, was arrested the same day. He previously pleaded guilty in 2024 to second-degree assault and was sentenced to six years in prison.
De Los Santos was arrested a week later.
This story was originally published June 2, 2026 at 5:01 PM.