3 shot, 1 stabbed in mayhem at Lynden fairgrounds
LYNDEN, Wash. - Three people were shot and one was stabbed Saturday night when a fight broke out during the closing hours of the Northwest Washington Fair in Lynden.
Police responded to the scene, near the fairgrounds' Haggen stage area, at about 10:10 p.m. after receiving reports of shots fired.
Officers encountered a scene of pandemonium, with people running away and victims clutching their wounds. Witnesses also reported seeing a person with a gun fleeing the scene.
The victims were rushed to the St. Joseph Hospital in Bellingham. Two of the injuries were considered minor, a third was "serious," and a fourth person suffered stab wounds, said Lynden Police Chief Jack Foster.
An investigation found that the melee broke out after a large group of people got into a scuffle during the final hours of the fair.
Chief Foster said Sunday that a 15-year-old male suspect was arrested at the fairgrounds and booked into juvenile detention on investigation of attempted murder and assault. Bail was set at $500,000.
By Sunday, two of the victims had been released, and the other two had shown improvement and were upgraded to "satisfactory" condition, said a St. Joseph Hospital nursing supervisor.
Foster said the four victims ranged in age from 18 to 23.
The incident is under investigation by the Lynden police, Whatcom County Sheriff, Border Patrol and the Everson Police Department. Foster says the shooting appears to be gang-related.
Fair Manager Jim Baron said it was the first time a shooting has happened at the Northwest Washington Fair in its 100-year history.
"Our hearts and prayers go out to the victims of the incident and also to the bystanders who experienced the shock of observing it by being nearby," Baron said later in a prepared statement.
"We are grateful that Lynden Police Department officers, who were patrolling the fairgrounds, quickly apprehended a suspect and protected thousands of other fairgoers," he added.
Police responded to the scene, near the fairgrounds' Haggen stage area, at about 10:10 p.m. after receiving reports of shots fired.
Officers encountered a scene of pandemonium, with people running away and victims clutching their wounds. Witnesses also reported seeing a person with a gun fleeing the scene.
The victims were rushed to the St. Joseph Hospital in Bellingham. Two of the injuries were considered minor, a third was "serious," and a fourth person suffered stab wounds, said Lynden Police Chief Jack Foster.
An investigation found that the melee broke out after a large group of people got into a scuffle during the final hours of the fair.
Chief Foster said Sunday that a 15-year-old male suspect was arrested at the fairgrounds and booked into juvenile detention on investigation of attempted murder and assault. Bail was set at $500,000.
By Sunday, two of the victims had been released, and the other two had shown improvement and were upgraded to "satisfactory" condition, said a St. Joseph Hospital nursing supervisor.
Foster said the four victims ranged in age from 18 to 23.
The incident is under investigation by the Lynden police, Whatcom County Sheriff, Border Patrol and the Everson Police Department. Foster says the shooting appears to be gang-related.
Fair Manager Jim Baron said it was the first time a shooting has happened at the Northwest Washington Fair in its 100-year history.
"Our hearts and prayers go out to the victims of the incident and also to the bystanders who experienced the shock of observing it by being nearby," Baron said later in a prepared statement.
"We are grateful that Lynden Police Department officers, who were patrolling the fairgrounds, quickly apprehended a suspect and protected thousands of other fairgoers," he added.
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