SPOKANE, Wash – Two teenagers were arrested after a drive-by shooting at Chief Garry Park Tuesday night. At the time of the shooting, a Spokane Indians Youth Baseball Game was happening nearby.
Parents of players were frustrated that this happened at all and said it could have been avoided.
Aaron Biancrosso’s son was about to start his baseball game when shots were fired. He said this should be a wakeup call for city leaders to “prioritize our children’s safety over revenue; it’s really an investment in our community’s future.”
Jessica Murphy’s son’s game at Chief Garry Park was canceled the day following the shooting. She said parents feel the adult leagues are taking precedence over youth games. Although Murphy said no one should have to be in Tuesday night’s situation, changes should be made so children are never in harm’s way. ” Adults are much more equipped to protect themselves in a situation like that than a child.”
We reached out to the City of Spokane Parks and Recreation, who, in a statement, called Tuesday night’s shooting “scary and very unsettling.”
They also clarified that youth and adult leagues used parks like Merkel and Franklin equally last year. NonStop Local also heard from the Spokane Youth Sports Association, which runs the youth baseball league. They confirmed they’re working with the city to move youth games out of Chief Garry Park.
Biancrosso said it shouldn’t have taken a shooting for there to be a change, “I think our kids deserve the opportunity to play in safe parks without the concern of a shooting happening in the back of their head all the time.”
