Teen killed in Mattawa

DESERT AIRE — A 17-year-old male was found dead, apparently shot in the head and dumped in the street in Mattawa, after a fight in Desert Aire early Saturday morning.

Grant County Undersheriff John Turley declined to identity the male Monday.

At roughly 1:45 a.m., law enforcement received notice of two 9-1-1 calls, he said. Law enforcement were dispatched to a report of shots fired in Desert Aire at about the same time a Mattawa police officer located the deceased juvenile laying in the street near a laundromat on Riverview Street in Mattawa.

“The deceased juvenile was apparently shot in Desert Aire and taken to the location in the city limits of Mattawa,” Turley stated. “As a Grant County deputy arrived in Desert Aire, it was broadcast that the deceased juvenile at Riverview and Hoose Street was involved in an all out mayhem fight at the intersection of Desert Aire Drive and Thunderbird Way in Desert Aire.”

Desert Aire is about four miles south of Mattawa.

Two adults and three or four juveniles were involved in the fight, Turley said. Several gunshots were fired and several males were physically fighting.

Two people were briefly detained by authorities as possible material witnesses. Police were denied approval from a judge to issue material witness warrants for the individuals, he said.

“Also, as part of the mayhem in Desert Aire, deputies responded to a one-vehicle rollover collision one-half mile north of the intersection of Road 24 Southwest and state Route 243,” he stated. “It was determined that a 1998 Cadillac Coupe de Ville four-door (sedan) had two occupants and had been a part of the incident in Desert Aire.”

One male in the vehicle was taken to a hospital for treatment to blunt force trauma to his head, Turley said. It was not determined if the injury was from the collision or from the fight. A second male in the sedan complained of neck pain stemming from the wreck.

“This fatality incident is gang-related as confirmed on scene and by witnesses,” he said.

Turley explained there are two rival gangs constantly fighting and are responsible for past shootings and stabbings. The activity spans Mattawa, Desert Aire, Schawana and Beverly, he said.

The Grant County Coroner’s Office took possession of the body and an autopsy was scheduled for today.

Authorities were awaiting approval of search warrants to search three vehicles involved with the gang fight, including the Cadillac sedan.

Turley said a Coulee City Police Department explosives dog was used to detect nitrates. Nitrates are found in ammunition. He said the dog detected nitrates on all four door handles and the trunk of the Cadillac sedan. Once the search warrant is approved, they will be able to search the vehicle to locate a gun.

The firearm used during the fight was not located.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the sheriff’s office at 509-754-2011, ext. 468.