Police trying to identify vehicle, suspect in Pasco drive-by shooting

Pasco police are trying to determine if there is a link between Saturday night’s drive-by shooting on Broadmoor Boulevard, and a car abandoned during a traffic stop two hours later.

Officers were getting a search warrant Sunday evening for the car that was dumped at North 14th Avenue and West Pearl Street.

The stop was not related to the shooting, but police later noticed a 9mm pistol on the car’s front seat, said Sgt. Bill Parramore. Officers found 9mm shell casings at the scene of the earlier shooting.

Police first responded at 9:13 p.m. Saturday to Broadmoor Boulevard, where several shots were fired at another car as it sat in the turn lane to go east on Chapel Hill Boulevard.

The suspect vehicle initially was in front of the other car before the victim pulled into the turn lane. Police are not releasing the man’s name, who escaped injury as his car was hit three times.

Multiple witnesses have given different descriptions of the suspect vehicle, which continued south on Broadmoor. Parramore said they believe it is a 1990s Toyota or Honda sedan.

The motive for the shooting is unknown, said Parramore, noting it could have been road rage.

“We are getting leads from the public, which is a good thing,” he said.

Then at 11:30 p.m., an officer stopped a car for a traffic infraction at 14th and Pearl, and the driver took off running before police could talk to him.

The car was towed so police could get a warrant to test the pistol. The driver reportedly has been identified as a convicted felon.

Anyone with information about the shooting is encouraged to call Pasco’s non-emergency dispatch at 509-545-3510.

This story was originally published April 17, 2016 at 8:10 PM with the headline "Police trying to identify vehicle, suspect in Pasco drive-by shooting."