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Moses Lake officials report progress in investigation after fatal shooting; police and fire credited for response
Summary
City officials updated the council on a recent fatal shooting investigation, noted multiple arrests and regional federal assistance, and recognized first responders for rapid medical response and scene work.
Moses Lake — City officials told the council the investigation into a recent fatal shooting is progressing, with additional arrests, multiple search warrants and help from federal partners while the city’s police and fire personnel were praised for their on-scene medical and investigative work.
City Manager Rob Carlinzi opened the briefing and asked the chiefs to report on the incident and the response. Fire Chief Gantz said emergency crews found five people with gunshot wounds when they arrived and that Moses Lake Fire Department crews provided advanced life support on scene before rapid transport to the hospital. "It represented a level of care, in a prehospital setting, advanced life support setting that, quite frankly, you would have to drive quite a ways from the city of Moses Lake to find that same level of care," Gantz said.
Police Chief Sams told the council the criminal investigation has produced another arrest "this afternoon" on a charge of rendering criminal assistance; officers have executed more than 15 search warrants and detectives have traveled to Spokane, the Tri-Cities area, Beaverton, Oregon, and Redding, California in the probe. Sams said more search warrants were expected and that the investigation has involved more than 25 department employees and more than 400 overtime hours in addition to regular duties. He also credited federal partners, saying, "we've received significant assistance...from the United States Marshals office...the Spokane Office of the FBI...and our partners with the Spokane ATF." The chief described federal teams assisting with surveillance, technical work and laboratory support.
Council members and the mayor recognized first responders at the meeting. Council members emphasized the scale of the investigation and acknowledged the staffing and overtime commitments described by police and fire. No charging details, suspect names or court filings were discussed at the public meeting, and the chiefs said they could not discuss specifics of the case in open session.
The council did not take any formal action on the investigation during the meeting; chiefs described the probe as ongoing and said additional arrests and warrants were expected.
