Delano shooting incident updated

Last month, two people were shot while walking along Spokane Boulevard in the Delano area, who then drove themselves to Coulee Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries, according to police reports from the Sept. 16 shooting.

Though police did name a suspect, no arrest was made and an “attempt to locate” dispatch was ultimately canceled the next morning due to lack of probable cause. The case has been forwarded to the Grant County Prosecutor’s Office.

According to Grand Coulee Police Department reports, one victim, a 35-year-old, refused to speak to police officers at Coulee Medical Center when they asked him what happened. The other victim, a 22-year-old, said the two were walking along Spokane Boulevard when someone shot them from a vehicle around the intersection of Yakima Street and Wenatchee Avenue.

The younger victim first said she didn’t know who could have shot at them as they have “beef with a lot of people,” according to the report. Later, an officer interviewed another witness in Delano, who apparently named someone who might have pulled the trigger.

The Star did reach the named suspect by phone on Oct. 8, a 38-year-old, but the man said he had “no idea” about the shooting and said he lives in Walla Walla.

The Star also reached the 22-year-old victim via her Facebook account Oct. 8. She said she would answer questions but wanted to know how the reporter found her. When told her name was in the police report and released as a public record, she did not respond to any questions.

At this time it is not known whether there are any other suspects, though GCPD did say no additional police reports had been filed since the incident.

In an email to The Star, Grand Coulee Officer Christopher Backus said the investigation has been turned over to the prosecutor’s office.

“They will determine what/if charges will be brought against anyone,” Backus said, a recent hire who is the acting officer in charge for the department. “Any further questions should be directed to the prosecutor office at this time.”

On Monday, Grant County Prosecutor Kevin McCrae confirmed his office had received the case but said it would be another couple of weeks until a charging decision would come out.

It was not the first incident of gun violence in the Delano neighborhood this summer. On Aug. 6, Dustin Miley was shot in Delano, and Austin Krabbenhoft faces an Assault 2 charge. Krabbenhoft’s scheduled Oct. 8 hearing in Grant County Superior Court was postponed until Jan. 7. He has been out on a $50,000 bail since the day after his arrest.