Othello looks to curb gang violence after shooting

OTHELLO — Othello city officials will look at ways to address gang activity after a shooting July 18 seriously injured a 15-year-old Othello boy.

A 17-year-old boy was arrested July 29 in connection with the case, which Othello Police Department officials said was gang-related.

“We’re strategizing as a city,” Othello Mayor Shawn Logan said Friday.

The shooting occurred in the 1100 block of South Shady Lane Place, according to the OPD’s social media page.

“There have been other incidents at this location,” OPD Chief Phil Schenck said Friday.

The 15-year-old was flown to a Spokane hospital, but has been released and is back home, according to the OPD page.

The 17-year-old was booked into juvenile detention on suspicion of first-degree assault with a firearm, drive-by shooting, second-degree assault, second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of a stolen firearm.

Officers received information the weapon used in the shooting had been thrown into the Potholes Canal, where it crosses state Route 26, near the Othello city limits, the page said. Richland-based Columbia Basin Dive Rescue conducted a search of the canal and recovered a 9mm pistol.

Police officers identified the suspect, located and arrested him without incident.

Schenck said the OPD had contact with the suspect before the incident.

Othello hasn’t had a significant problem with gangs in a long time, Schenck said, but that’s starting to change.

“We’re definitely seeing some increasing gang activity,” he said.

Othello officers expected to see an increase in gang activity as the COVID-19 outbreak eased, because people were allowed to get out and about, and reconnect with friends and acquaintances.

“It gets things moving again,” Schenck said.

The OPD’s two school resource officers are working to get to know kids and build trust with them, Schenck said, but some of the kids involved in gang activity have dropped out of school.

Security cameras are one of the options open to city officials, and Logan said the city is looking at adding them in city parks, at the Othello Community Pool and at the city baseball and softball fields in Lions Park, among other locations.

“Where we can basically just keep an eye on things,” he said.

The OPD also started a Neighborhood Watch program earlier this summer, Schenck said.

Logan said the increase in gang activity didn’t happen overnight, and will take time and the help of the community to address it. He said residents should contact the police when they see suspicious activity, because even if the city buys and installs cameras, they won’t see everything.