Spokane police have released a statement on Wednesday suggesting that a drive-by shooting that occurred on the South Hill may have been carried out with an air-powered weapon, such as a paintball gun. The incident took place on Monday afternoon around 2:30 p.m. on East 29th Avenue, between South Manito Boulevard and South Perry Street. Two drivers reported being shot about a minute apart, with two additional victims also claiming they were targeted in the shooting. One of the victims reported his car being hit, while the other reported his home being struck.
After closing that section of 29th Avenue for investigation, the police found a small object that could possibly be a marble or glass projectile at the scene of the shooting. The object was still powerful enough to cause “substantial bodily harm and property damage,” the police said.
Police spokeswoman Julie Humphreys warned that the suspect could face felony assault charges, regardless of whether the weapon used was a paintball gun, slingshot or any other air-powered weapon.
At present, the police are still searching for the suspect in the shooting, and anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact Crime Check at (509) 456-2233.