MOSES LAKE, Wash. — A shooting at the Grant County Fairgrounds left two girls injured on Friday around 9 p.m.
According to the Grant County Sheriff's Office, a 16-year-old girl and a 14-year-old girl were shot.
The suspect, a 15-year-old boy from Wenatchee, has been detained and placed into custody at the Chelan County Juvenile Justice Center in Wenatchee, according to GCSO.
GSCO says investigators are recommending charges of two counts of first-degree assault with a firearm or deadly weapon, second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm and reckless endangerment.
GCSO says the shooting happened at the carnival end of the fairgrounds. The 14-year-old victim, the suspect's girlfriend, was attending the carnival with the suspect and his family and sustained a gunshot wound to her back. The 16-year-old victim was a bystander and was shot in the leg.
GCSO says the suspect became involved in a gang-related verbal-turned-physical altercation with a member of an opposing gang.
They say the suspect attempted to draw an illegal handgun and mistakenly fired one round. That round passed through the 16-year-old victim's back and then struck the 14-year-old girl in the leg.
Both victims were taken to Samaritan Healthcare in Moses Lake via ambulance. They are both in stable condition, with non-life-threatening injuries.
GCSO says the suspect ran after the shot was fired but members of the crowd intervened by shoving the suspect into a carnival ride’s safety rail and then tackling him to the ground.
The fairgrounds and the carnival area were evacuated following the shooting. The rodeo was allowed to continue.
The sheriff's office said the campground is not evacuating.
GSCO asks that anyone who witnessed the shooting and has not yet spoken with detectives to call 509-762-1160 regarding case number 24GS10016.
The Grant County Fairgrounds posted on their Facebook that any fair admission that was bought on Friday can be used to get into the fair on Saturday. They also shared the fair will be free all day on Saturday and they plan to have entertainment continue as scheduled.
GSCO says that a large presence of officers will be at the fairgrounds on Saturday.
This is a developing story. We'll update this story as we learn more.