RSSShooting at party leaves man dead in Terrace Heights
YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC
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YAKIMA, Wash. -- A 19-year-old Yakima man died of a gunshot wound suffered at a party in the Terrace Heights area early Sunday.
Erberto Lopez was shot once in the chest at a home in the 200 block of Butterfield Road, according to the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office.
A second man, Omar Ramirez, 22, also of Yakima, was shot in the left hand. He was treated at a local hospital and released.
Lopez’s death marks the 12th homicide in Yakima County this year.
An initial investigation showed alcohol was being served at a party at the home and people were being charged $2 for a party cup, according to a news release from the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said that shortly before the 3:45 a.m. shooting, a number of people arrived who did not want to pay the $2, instead saying they had brought their own beer. A fight broke out when they were asked the leave and Lopez was shot by one of the party crashers, according to the department.
While leaving the party, more shots were fired and Ramirez was struck, according to the department.
When Yakima police and sheriff’s deputies began arriving, they found many people leaving the party in vehicles as well as scattering on foot.
According to the sheriff’s office, the party crashers reportedly stated they were Norteño gang members. But authorities also said it’s not clear whether gang affiliation played any role in the shooting.
Both Lopez and Ramirez were taken to local hospitals in private vehicles, according to the sheriff’s office. Lopez died shortly after arriving at Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital.
An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday.
“At this point, it appears to be he was definitely shot, but we’ll do the autopsy to determine how many times, if more than once,” said coroner Jack Hawkins. “We don’t know for sure until we do the exam.”
Ramirez was taken to Yakima Regional Medical and Cardiac Center.
Lopez’s death brings the number of homicides in Yakima County to 12 so far this year. That compares to seven last year for the same time period. In 2008, there were 18 homicides altogether in Yakima County. That was up from a dozen in 2007.
“We are working hard,” Yakima County Sheriff Ken Irwin said Sunday afternoon. “We have never not been on alert.”
But Irwin cited concern for funding for local law enforcement as well as gang prevention and intervention programs.
“Now it’s all coming to a head,” he said. “Luckily, there are some stimulus funds that have been made available, that are starting to flow to us. But those are only short-term.
“Local government needs to find a way to better fund law enforcement and programs to combat the gang problem.”
There were no arrests announced in the case by Sunday evening.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the sheriff’s office at 509-574-2500.
Seems to be a banner year for murders.
Report Violation(This comment has been removed by a Yakima Herald-Republic moderator)
lordoflys, it is called "Macho". They like to walk around acting like a bunch of primping peacocks.
Report ViolationThey should arrest the people whose name the property is in for "contributing to minors".
Report ViolationJust like you to talk smack about the Latinos. I know white men who act macho and they're nothing but cowards.
Report ViolationThere must be some kind of misunderstanding, remember..... crime stats are supposed to be down this year!
Report ViolationHeywood that was for the city... I guess if the Sheriff is doing a lousy job we should fire him as well.
Report ViolationThe Sheriff is elected. We can fire him.
Report ViolationSo, 1mgh, I am supposed to condone and support this kind of activity, like you seem to do. Let people shoot up our community simply because they are maybe from a different country and we need to be nice. Sorry. Not me, not now not ever.
And don't be absurd - I don't care who they are or where they are from. Criminals aren't a good thing to have around.
Hey, STOP PRINTING THE NAME OF THE GANG! GIVING THEM PRESS ONLY GIVES THEM CREDIBILITY! And to all of you who bring race to the issue, leave it out. There are enough deadbeat losers from all races in the valley to go around.
Report ViolationNick...I don't condone violence...nowhere on my comments do I ever condone or applaud it. It's the ignorant racists people who continue to pretend that thier own race is better than the other and think that their own race doesn't commit crime. This land belonged to the Native American Indians until the white man decided to kill for it. California, Texas, etc...never belonged to the white man either....it was occupied by the Native Americans and Mexican...until the white man killed for it. Which...was really a crime...but according to some ignorant racist neo-nazi's on here when the non-Latino's commit a crime, rarely anything is said about that.
Report Violationrheit "And to all of you who bring race to the issue, leave it out"
I bring it up because there are many racists in the Yakima Valley who continue to make it a point to point fingers that all crime is committed by the 'illegals', 'mexican's', 'spanish speaking', etc. when they act like their own race never commits crimes. You're right...there are losers from all races...but certain ignorant people blame all crime on the Latino's. To me...that sounds like a racist.
YAKIMA, your all IGNORANT!! that why many of you stay in the valley, because there aren't enough fastfood, truck driving or forklift job's outside of the valley for you!!
Report Violationlaro calls everyone ignorant, yet doesn't know how to spell. isn't that the pot calling the kettle black??
laro, for your information, the word "your" refers to possession. as in "your shirt", "your car", etc. "you're" is short for "you are". As is "you're all ignorant", "you're an idiot", etc.
in the future you may want to get your spelling correct before you refer to everyone in a city as being ignorant.
sad..its never going to stop..which means im not going back to yakima and be closer to family..im not risking my daughters life for anything..12th homocide? forget it..thats like 2 per month the last 6 months..
Report Violation"But Irwin cited concern for funding for local law enforcement as well as gang prevention and intervention programs."
This is the same Sheriff Irwin who campaigned for a three cents tax per hundred that would fund more patrols specifically targeted at gang violence. The good citizens of Yakima County voted for that tax. And what happened? The General Budget came up short, so County Commissioners began cutting budgets of the Sheriff's and the County Prosecutor's Offices (among others). Thus, the Law and Justice Sales Tax now pays for status quo from several years ago. No reporting about this in the YHR, no comments from the commissioners. Just "same old, same old" local government.
When I questioned Sheriff Irwin about this in an email last fall, he responded that the situation is "complicated." As if a mere citizen could not be expected to understand.
I understand well. We are paying more for less and our county government stands by while Yakima becomes the butt of jokes around the state. (See comments to the Seattle Times article today.) And we are to attract tourists to the valley exactly how?
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