SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane police arrested the man who fired shots into the homeless camp near I-90 and Freya on early Wednesday morning. Police said the shooting was not random.
Spokane Police Department (SPD) arrested 24-year-old James Rackliff, after firing shots at a homeless camp near I-90 and Freya early Wednesday morning
Rackliff was booked into Spokane County Jail for a drive-by shooting and a judge set his bond at $5,000 after he appeared in court on Wednesday evening. According to court documents, Rackliff had a warrant out for his arrest since 2016 for failure to appear in court.
Background information:
At 3:04 a.m. someone called 911 to report a person driving around the homeless camp and shooting into it. During the call, dispatchers said they could hear shots being fired.
When police arrived, the suspect was no longer in the area. Police recovered shell casings at the scene. After investigating, police tracked the suspect to an apartment complex at South Southeast Blvd. and South Regal Street on the South Hill, where they believed he lived.
Police found a car matching the description of the one used in the shooting and detained a suspect on two counts of a drive-by shooting. Police were able to serve a search warrant on the apartment and started investigating.
No one was hurt in the shooting. Police said it was not random and they believe the suspect was targeting one person at the homeless camp.
According to the press release, police believe the suspect was targeting a woman whom he gave a ride. Apparently, the suspect believed the woman had stolen from him, which prompted him to attempt to locate her. While looking for the woman, the suspect started firing with his gun from his car multiple times.
Police are still investigating the suspect’s target and what lead to the interactions prior to the shooting.
According to a witness, she said the man came to the camp initially looking for a woman who had potentially stolen items from him, and ended up getting angry and started shooting around the camp.
The witness said the encampment generally deals with other things, but nothing as serious as a shooting.
Police said there is no danger to the community and the investigation is ongoing.
This is a developing story and will be updated when more information becomes available.
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