One person is dead and several others were hurt after gunfire and stabbings broke out at a Halloween party near Don Rubio's early Saturday, Pasco police said, marking the third major shooting incident in the city in about three weeks.
Police said calls began coming in around 1:20 a.m. reporting shots fired and people down in the 1500 block of North Fourth Avenue, near the restaurant, according to AppleValleyNewsNow. Several people were taken to a local hospital, and one person was pronounced dead at the scene, according to NBC Right Now.
The Richland Police Department, which assisted Pasco officers at the scene, said the incident involved multiple victims with both stab and gunshot wounds, NBC Right Now reported. Pasco police described the incident as "isolated," saying there is no ongoing threat to the public.
Franklin County Prosecutor Shawn Sant was at the scene Saturday morning and was briefed by Pasco Police Detective Sergeant Nathan Carlisle, according to the Tri-City Herald, via Yahoo News. Police remained on scene investigating as of 10 a.m.
Separately, Pasco police responded to a report of a stabbing near Interstate 82 and Fourth Avenue around the same time early Saturday, the Tri-City Herald reported via Yahoo News. It isn't clear whether that stabbing is connected to the party shooting or a distinct incident, and police hadn't said as of Saturday afternoon.
Street closed, investigation ongoing
North Fourth Avenue between West Court Street and West Ruby Street remained closed through at least mid-morning Saturday while investigators worked the scene, according to NBC Right Now. Drivers in that stretch of central Pasco should expect delays and seek another route until police reopen the road.
No suspect information or arrests had been announced as of Saturday afternoon. The Franklin County Coroner's Office has not released the victim's identity or official cause and manner of death, and the exact number and condition of the injured hadn't been finalized in early reporting.
Pasco police are asking anyone with information to call 509-628-0333 and reference case number 26-056485, or to submit video online. Investigators specifically want surveillance footage from nearby businesses, security camera recordings, and cellphone video taken by people who attended the Halloween party, according to NBC Right Now.
A rough three weeks for Pasco
Saturday's violence is the third major gunfire incident in Pasco in about three weeks. On Oct. 10, a gang-related shootout left a 15-year-old boy dead and two others hurt; two juveniles were later charged with murder in that case, according to a report cited by Yahoo News. On Oct. 21, a Richland police detective fatally shot a man during a multi-agency warrant operation in Pasco.
Whether Saturday's shooting is connected to the gang violence behind the Oct. 10 case remains unconfirmed. The incidents come as Tri-Cities police departments had already stepped up DUI patrols for Halloween weekend, part of a broader public-safety push across Kennewick, Pasco, Richland and West Richland this time of year.
Anyone who was near Don Rubio's or the Halloween party early Saturday and has photos or video is encouraged to send it to Pasco police at 509-628-0333, referencing case number 26-056485.
