MEAD, Wash. — A fatal shooting that occurred in Mead over the weekend reportedly stemmed from a heated argument over alleged trespassing, according to the Spokane County Sheriff's Office (SCSO).
Two men were shot on Saturday morning near East Hawthorne Road in Mead. One of the men was killed and the other remains at the hospital. Two days later, investigators are providing more information about what they believe happened leading up to the shooting.
According to SCSO, the incident started when the two men were contacted by an armed security person for trespassing on the Bonneville Power Administration, which is federal land. SCSO said the area was "clearly marked by signage."
Security and the two men eventually made contact with each other and "a heated verbal exchange" started. It then escalated into a physical fight between security and one of the men. The second man got involved in the physical altercation with security.
Witnesses to the altercation told investigators the two men appeared to be aggressive or actually fighting with security. At some point, security fired his weapon and hit the two men.
One of the men was taken to the hospital, where he is still receiving treatment. The other man was pronounced dead at the scene.
The victims' names have not been confirmed by police.
KREM 2 spoke with Mickah Chapman, who said he knew the victims. Chapman owns his own auto repair shop and said an inquiry for a transmission builder led him to become friends with one of the victims.
"I needed a good transmission builder, kept having customers who needed work done. We just immediately clicked. Think I was on the phone with him a good two hours just exchanging stories," Chapman said. "There's a lot of us who want answers and accountability. If there was wrongdoing, justice needs to be going for him."
The investigation into the shooting is ongoing and no charges have been filed.
Anyone with additional information is asked to call (509) 477-3476, reference #10147736.
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