Mass shooting in Toppenish leaves 3 young people, gunman dead

In Central Washington’s Yakima County, a mass shooting early Thursday morning left three young victims — all under the age of 22 — and the suspected gunman dead while another person is in critical condition.

The Toppenish Police Department reported the incident took place on Pearne Street in Toppenish and it appeared the gunman, a 19-year-old man, killed himself after shooting multiple people in the home with him at approximately 5 a.m. Thursday. The victims who died at the scene were a 13-year-old boy and two women, who were 18 and 21.

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The fourth shooting victim, a 21-year-old man, was transported to the hospital and remains in critical condition.

While the investigation is still in its early stages, preliminary findings indicate that the suspect acted alone and his motive is unknown. The suspected shooter’s identity is being withheld until the family members of all of the victims have been notified.

Earlier Thursday, the department asked people to avoid the area.

In its statement, the Toppenish Police Department encouraged anyone with information related to this incident to come forward and contact investigators with the Toppenish Police Department. “Any information, regardless of how insignificant it may seem, could greatly assist our ongoing investigation,” the department said.

The Associated Press notes Toppenish has a population of about 8,600 people and is located within the Yakama Indian Reservation.