Two teen girls were shot at the Grant County Fair Friday night when a teen boy shot them by accident as he drew a handgun on a rival gang member, according to the Grant County Sheriff's Office.
Members of the crowd shoved the suspected shooter into the railing of a carnival ride and then tackled him to the ground, holding him until nearby deputies could arrest him.
The suspect, a 15-year-old boy from Wenatchee, Wash., had gotten into an argument and then a physical fight with a rival gang member, according to the sheriff's office.
He fired one round as he attempted to draw his gun.
The bullet hit the back of his 16-year-old girlfriend, who had come to the fair from Wenatchee with her family. The bullet passed through her and hit the leg of a 14 year old who happened to be standing nearby.
The two girls were taken by ambulance to Samaritan Healthcare in Moses Lake. Their wounds were serious but not life-threatening, according to the sheriff's office. It said both were in stable condition Saturday.
As the suspect ran, bystanders pointed out the suspect and others in the crowd caught him, according to the sheriff's office.
Deputies were already headed toward the two fighting gang members when the shot was fired. The suspect had a handgun when he was arrested, and several people who saw the fight shared video with law enforcement, according to the sheriff's office.
The suspect, who also was with his family at the event, has not been named and is being held in the Chelan County Juvenile Justice Center in Wenatchee on suspicion of two counts of first-degree assault with a firearm, second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm and reckless endangerment, according to officials.
The fairgrounds were evacuated and then the rodeo arena after the Moses Lake Roundup events concluded for the evening.
The fairgrounds were scheduled to reopen Saturday, and the Grant County Sheriff's Office said many law enforcement officers would be patrolling the fairgrounds.
Admission to the fair will be free on Saturday.
On Thursday night, two juveniles were arrested at the fair for carrying handguns, but they were not the teens involved in the Friday night shooting, according to the sheriff's office.
Open carry and concealed carry handguns are allowed on the Grant County Fairgrounds, but the Friday night incident involved illegal use of a gun and gang-involved activity, according to the sheriff's office.
The Grant County Sheriff's Office and the Grant County Fairgrounds staff will be meeting with the public to discuss the Friday shooting and to develop plans to improve safety at the fairgrounds, according to the sheriff's office.
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