By Mark Knapp
The City of Yakima has been experiencing an upsurge of gang related shootings. The Yakima City Council has called a special meeting for 1 p.m. Friday to discuss how to deal with a recent flare-up in gang violence. Several innocent victims have been wounded by stray rounds.
Some authorities refer to the shootings as a “state of emergency” for the city. Police Chief Sam Granato said gang members are becoming more aggressive in opening fire on one another. Eighteen people have been shot in Yakima since early May. One shooting occurred on August 2nd. Police officers responded to a report of gunshots early Sunday- the fourth reported gang shooting in 72 hours!
Police say they found 23 shell casings in the roadway. Officers also responded to the area near Domino's Pizza at Sixth and Union streets in reference to a 28 year-old male who had what appeared to be “a bullet hole in the back of his neck. The victim was taken to a local hospital where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The shooting appears to be gang-related as the the shooters asked the victim is he was a gang member before they began shooting, police said.
Many folks in Yakima are concerned that these problems could result in inadvertently harassment of citizens legally wearing weapons for protection against predatory criminals in and around Yakima, an area known for cartel activities and drugs. Gun activists and other concerned citizens have been contacting the city council and other city officials to ask questions. The answers to many of their questions have not been forthcoming. Sometimes it almost seems like certain politicians regard the taxpayers as more threatening than some of the worst thugs on the streets. Ironically, many of the taxpayers feel that way toward elected officials.
Most law enforcement officers that we have talked to in Yakima, Federal Way and even places like Seattle and Tacoma are very comfortable with armed citizens that follow the rules. The trouble is that many LEOs are reluctant to publically tell the politicians what most LEOs know, that honest citizens that wear guns are a deterrent to criminals and make law enforcement easier! We will continue observing Yakima and reporting new developments. Our goal is to inform the politicians that have not already gotten the message- the voters are fed up with violence in the streets and want our leaders to take a stand.
Yakima does not need city council members attending more meetings to identify the problem. The predominant message from the residents of Yakima seems to be, "Let law enforcement do its job and start taking action to get the gang members off the streets."
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