In a joint news conference, Spokane police chief Craig Meidl and Spokane Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich attribute the uptick in shootings to gang violence and they say younger gang members have a new way of operating.
Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich says “they don’t care about killing people that is the bottom line.”
And they don’t care about jurisdiction either, that’s why police and the sheriff’s office were together Monday.
Spokane Police say this year officers have responded to 31 shootings. That’s ten drive-by shootings and 21 others.
The sheriff’s office has also had a busy year.
Major crimes detectives are still looking for a suspect in the shooting death of 16-year-old Owar Opiew who was killed at a Spokane valley house party in early February.
The sheriff’s office saying they think the shooting is gang-related but no one is coming forward with information.
Sheriff Knezovich says he’s seen evidence that rival gang members are using Opiew’s death to galvanize other young people to take violent action.
The sheriff says it’s time that the community to step up.
“I am tired of watching young people die,” Sheriff Knezovich says.
The sheriff says it’s not just cooperation it’s a full overhaul of how our community interacts with at young kids heading down the wrong path.
“We really need more people from our at-risk communities to join in and get your young people to these programs,” Sheriff Knezovich says.
The sheriff says these programs that are designed to keep kids off the streets and prevent them from getting swept into gang violence are just half of it.
“We can create every program in the world, but if you arent getting kids to the program nothing changes.”
And if nothing changes Knezovich fears the violence will only get worse.
“There are only two things that come out of this gang violence that is death and prison.”
