Two shot in drug deal gone awry

GRANDVIEW -- Police suspect a back seat drug deal Wednesday night took a nasty turn when two males shot each other, sending them both to the hospital and interrupting a nearby youth soccer practice.

Details were still sketchy late Wednesday, but Grandview Police believe the two unidentified suspects shot each other as they sat in the back seat of a black Nissan Maxima at 7 p.m. on Fir Street.

Police found about $1,000 of cash and a package of heroin in the car, said Chief Dave Charvet. He was unsure how much heroin was recovered.

"This is a dope deal gone bad," Charvet said.

A youth soccer team had just wrapped up practice at Smith Elementary School, less than 100 yards away, police said. About 15 people were on the field. None of them were hurt.

Both males were taken to Sunnyside Community Hospital with gunshot wounds. Grandview police were not immediately available to provide an update on the condition of those shot.

Charvet did not know their names or ages, but one is from Wapato, the other from Pasco.

The Wapato man admitted to police they had come to the neighborhood to deal drugs, Charvet said.

Two females were sitting in the front seat and ran from the car when the shots were fired. Police caught them and took them to the Grandview station. Their names and ages were unavailable Wednesday night, but they are from Pasco, Charvet said.

Charvet said the suspected dealers picked the neighborhood only for its convenient location. They have no connection to the community, much less the street, he said.

Police found a 9 mm pistol and .380-caliber pistol in the car.

Neighbor Joe Piña said his elderly mother and his young nephews are often at his home, though he didn't know if they were there when the shooting happened. He arrived home about an hour later to four police cars with flashing lights.

"It's getting ridiculous," he said.

* Ross Courtney can be reached at 930-8798 or rcourtney@yakimaherald.com.