Grant County officials address fair shooting

MOSES LAKE — On Aug. 19, the Grant County Commissioners and the Grant County Sheriff’s Office held a meeting to discuss the shooting Friday night at the fair. This was the first shooting to occur in the history of the Grant County Fair, according to Kyle Foreman, the GCSO public information officer.  

According to a statement issued Saturday by the GSCO, the incident began as a gang-related verbal argument between the suspect and members of a rival gang. The suspect, a 15-year-old from Wenatchee, drew a handgun and fired one round, striking a 16-year-old girl in the back and a 14-year-old girl in the leg. 

Jim McKiernan, Grant County Fair Director, said that the 14-year-old underwent surgery for a three-point repair of her femur. The 16-year-old girl's condition is stable, with no further updates. 

“It was an amazing fair and it was really frustrating for us at the sheriff's office to have an individual come in and ruin it for everybody,” Grant County Sheriff Joe Kriete said.  

At around 9 p.m., shots were fired, prompting the evacuation of the fairgrounds, according to Kriete. He stated that the partnership with McKiernan and his crew resulted in a safe evacuation. 

Grant County Commissioner Cindy Carter said that the only issue reported during the evacuation was that it took some attendees over an hour to leave the parking lot. She explained this delay was due to security being occupied with the shooting incident and the arrival of additional emergency services, as one woman went into labor. 

“I'm not surprised there were a few hiccups ... but as far as getting everybody out, I think it went really well,” Kriete said. “Our response was very, very, very quick. Our crime reduction team was probably 50 feet away when everything happened. That's how close we were, we had 16 cops there that night.” 

In a statement on Monday, GSCO clarified some details. First, security is handled by a private security hired by the fairgrounds. Secondly, the statement mentions that GCSO does not perform warrantless searches of personal property, such as searches before allowed entry at an event, which would violate the Fourth Amendment. Lastly, open-carry and concealed-carry handguns are allowed at the Grant County Fairgrounds by those for whom it would be legal elsewhere.  

“We have fullest gratitude for the citizens who helped capture the suspect, but we want to first verify that they are comfortable with having their names shared publicly,” the statement reads. “We know this was a shocking turn of events for families attending the fair. We’ll be having conversations with all stakeholders and we will work with the fair staff to help make the fairgrounds as safe as possible.”  

Kriete said that many children, instead of evacuating, sought immediate shelter. He attributed this behavior to school training, which teaches students to hide during active shooting situations. However, McKiernan confirmed that there were no panic-related injuries. 

McKiernan identified several areas for improvement for next year's fair, including the installation of a sound system at the campground to ensure announcements can be heard and the addition of extra lighting at all entrances to enhance security and facilitate evacuations. The sheriff’s office plans to hold meetings to discuss ways to improve safety at future events, according to Kriete.  

“The core issue here doesn't have anything to do with the fair. It has to do with these gangs, these young gangs,” Grant County Commissioner Danny Stone said. 

Kriete said that the GCSO has recently established a crime reduction team for gang enforcement, which is two months old. Additionally, the GCSO will be sending officers to a national gang conference to acquire more knowledge about modern gangs. However, Kriete emphasized that the sheriff’s office can only fulfill one-third of the job; support from schools, parents and the community is essential to prevent gang affiliation. 

On Saturday, the Grant County Fair reopened with free admission and doubled police presence. According to Kriete, GSCO and Moses Lake Police Department received additional support from the Adams County Sheriff’s Office and the Soap Lake Police Department, resulting in 30 officers on duty. 

“So, just when you think you have enough, 16 guys packed into the fairgrounds, that's a lot,” Kriete said. “It comes down to the point where (when) people are focused on wanting to do bad things, they can be 50 feet from you, they're gonna do it.” 

McKiernan reported that Saturday drew a great crowd. He noted that some concession vendors informed him their sales on Saturday surpassed those of opening day. Foreman said that there was one minor disturbance with three minors that were escorted out of the fair. However, it was not violent.  

“It kind of shows that the community actually came out and kind of rallied at the fair despite the fact that we had that incident,” McKiernan said.