Spokane Police investigate series of drive-by shootings, say they’re mostly unrelated and not random

SPOKANE, Wash. — The Spokane Police Department is investigating possible gang connections in a series of recent drive-by shootings.

Officers said the five shootings over a three-day span are not random and seem to be mostly unrelated.

The first shooting happened Tuesday near Gonzaga. Two men were shot and had non-life-threatening injuries. Police said the shooting was not random but was actually a dispute between people in two different cars.

Another shooting was reported at about 1:30 p.m. Wednesday. Neighbors near the 4400 block of N. Lincoln said they heard multiple gunshots. They also told officers they saw an SUV drive away from the area. Nobody was hurt, but officers did find five bullet holes in a car outside of a home in the area. Police said they think this shooting was targeted. However, they have not found the shooter yet.

Then, three drive-by shootings were reported Thursday morning. At about 5:30 a.m., police responded to Pittsburg and Liberty for reports of gunshots in the area. Officers said they found shell casings there. They determined a car with people inside was the target of that shooting.

About an hour later multiple callers reported hearing gunshots and hearing a car speed away from the 1600 block of E. Bridgeport. Investigators said it looked like the accused shooter went back to the location about five minutes later and fired more shots. Police said they found bullet holes in a home and located shell casings. Officers said they think this was a targeted shooting. Investigators say they have identified the accused shooter and the car they were in.

Also, on Thursday morning, police responded to calls about a drive-by shooting in the 2000 block of W. Mallon. Investigators said they found a shell casing in the road and three bullet holes in an apartment building. The man who lived in the apartment was not hurt, police said. They also said they don’t think he was the target of the shooting.

The investigations into all of the shootings continue.

The Spokane Police Department said that, even though the shootings appear to be targeted and there is no threat to the public, bystanders could get hurt.

The police department said finding the shooters and getting dangerous people off the streets was one of its top priorities.

RELATED: Spokane Police: 2 hurt in shooting near Gonzaga

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