Investigation underway after juvenile shot in Ontario
By Joe Hathaway on Monday, January 1st, 2024 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News Northeastern Oregon News
ONTARIO – (Release from Ontario Police) On December 29, 2023, at approximately 9:07 p.m., Ontario Police responded to reports of multiple shots fired in the parking lot of Albertsons.
The preliminary investigation indicates there was a physical altercation between two different groups of young adults and teenaged juveniles in two separate vehicles. One group, associated with a silver SUV and the other, a white sedan. Following the physical altercation, the group in the silver SUV left the parking lot, now (Northbound) and mobile on Alameda Drive began shooting at the group associated with the white sedan. A juvenile was shot along with several parked vehicles in the area. The group associated with the white sedan loaded the injured juvenile into their vehicle and drove the juvenile to St. Alphonsus hospital in Ontario, Oregon where the juvenile was dropped off. The occupants of the white sedan then fled.
Officers responding to the scene encountered the white sedan traveling Eastbound in the 900 block of SW 4th Ave. The vehicle was observed driving recklessly and without headlights. The vehicle turned south on S Park Blvd. Two officers attempted to stop the vehicle as it continued Southbound at a high rate of speed. The white sedan ultimately lost control and crashed in the cemetery effectively disabling the vehicle. Two of the three occupants ran from the area, and the other remained on scene. One fleeing occupant (juvenile) was shortly after apprehended, while the third occupant (identified as an adult male) remains at-large. Both juveniles were under the influence of alcohol.
The injured juvenile at the hospital was ultimately transported to another area hospital and remains in critical but stable condition. The silver SUV was later located, and the driver of the silver SUV was apprehended without incident. The other subjects associated with the silver SUV remain at-large.
Troopers from the Oregon State Police and deputies from Malheur County Sheriff’s Department assisted in this on-going investigation.
If you have any information regarding this incident (P202309557), please contact Ontario Police Department – Detective BJ Snyder at 541-881-3202 or bj.snyder@ontariooregon.org.
