The 15-year-old boy suspected of shooting three people at the Northwest Washington Fair is being held on $1 million bail and already has a long criminal history.
The boy is charged with one count of attempted murder, two counts of first-degree assault and, because he is under 18, unlawful possession of a firearm. He had his first appearance in juvenile court Monday afternoon, Aug. 22.
Four people were injured Saturday night, including a man who was stabbed. Police believe the violence was gang related.
"I'm confident that we have the shooter," Lynden Police Chief Jack Foster said. "But there's no indication at this point that he did the stabbing."
The Bellingham Herald does not publish the names of minors charged in juvenile court unless they are accused of a crime that results in death.
The boy's bail was elevated to $1 million in light of revelations that he could be put into custody of U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement if he posts bail.
Defense attorneys believe because the boy has not yet served time in a correctional institution, Immigration and Customs had not flagged his name for review.
His criminal history includes felony convictions for assault and harassment. In the most recent incident, he pleaded guilty July 22 to carrying a knife while making threats to a nurse and a law officer. He was intoxicated at the time of the crime.
Saturday's violence began as a fight about 10:05 p.m. not far from one of the main food courts. Witnesses reported hearing the pop of gunshots, then seeing the fighters run off.
A man who was shot in the leg was a bystander getting food for his children, prosecutors said.
A witness followed the boy from where the first shots were fired and pointed the suspected shooter out to police, Foster said. An officer then tackled and arrested the boy.
"We definitely owe that guy a debt of gratitude," Foster said.
Police recovered a semiautomatic handgun from the boy. Foster declined to reveal the gun's caliber because he was waiting for approval from the Whatcom County Prosecutor's Office.
One victim remained in satisfactory condition at St. Joseph hospital as of Monday, said hospital spokeswoman Judy Smith. The other three were treated and released.
All the victims are from Whatcom County, Foster said, but none were from Lynden.
The shooting happened during the final hour of the fair's weeklong run, after most people had departed but before some of the late-night attractions, like the carnival, had shut down.
It was the first time a shooting has happened in the Northwest Washington Fair's history.
Jim Baron, general manager of the fair, issued a press release the day after the shooting saying fair management would review its security measures for next year's event.
