A 17-year-old boy is in custody after deputies say he fired multiple gunshots during an attempted vehicle prowl near Heritage High School in Vancouver.
Deputies were dispatched to the campus NE 130th Avenue just after midnight on Friday, Sept. 5, following reports of gunfire and a female screaming for help, according to the Clark County Sheriff’s Office. While they were investigating, more shots rang out to the north and east of the campus.
Officers spotted a male suspect fleeing through the baseball and softball fields. He jumped fences and briefly evaded deputies before law enforcement from CCSO, the Vancouver Police Department, and Washington State Patrol set up containment using drones and K9 teams.
Soon after, deputies located a victim at a nearby home on the 8000 block of NE 136th Avenue. The resident told investigators that the suspect and a female accomplice were attempting to prowl a vehicle.
When confronted, the suspect pointed a gun, threatened to kill the victim, and fired eight rounds toward the home, striking it twice. No injuries were reported.
A juvenile female was temporarily detained in the area. Meanwhile, a Vancouver Police K9 team tracked the male suspect back to Heritage High, where he was found hiding behind a batting backstop, police said.
The teen refused to comply with commands and was apprehended with the assistance of the K9. He was medically evaluated before being cleared for booking.
Deputies recovered a firearm beneath nearby bleachers, which was confirmed stolen out of Thurston County. The 17-year-old also had multiple active warrants there, including assault, unlawful possession of a firearm, reckless endangerment, unlawful discharge of a firearm, and probation violation.
Thurston County additionally had probable cause for attempted murder and drive-by shooting. The teen was booked into Clark County Juvenile Detention Hall on charges including:
- Eight counts of attempted murder in the second degree
- Possession of a stolen firearm
- Two counts of vehicle prowling in the second degree
- Felony harassment
- Several outstanding warrants from Thurston County
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