Teenager who shot another during suspected summer gang fight sentenced
A Bellingham teenager who shot a then-18-year-old Bellingham man during a fight between suspected rival gangs at Sunset Pond last summer will spend up to nine months in custody.
The 15-year-old boy was sentenced to a range of nearly four to nine months at a state-run juvenile rehabilitation center in early October for second-degree assault and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm. He got credit for 80 days served in custody in the Whatcom County Juvenile Detention Center. He will have a restitution hearing to determine how much he owes the victim on Dec. 6.
The Bellingham Herald does not typically identify juveniles convicted of crimes.
Shortly before 12:30 a.m. on June 21, Bellingham police were called to Sunset Pond for the report of shots fired. When officers arrived, they found then-18-year-old Luis Vera-Yrizarris sitting on the sidewalk holding his right leg, according to court records. He had been shot in the right thigh. Vera-Yrizarris was later taken to the hospital, where he was treated and released.
Vera-Yrizarris told officers the 15-year-old shot him, and said they’ve had ongoing issues stemming from a gang conflict, according to court records.
Witnesses said the boy shot Vera-Yrizarris from the south entrance of the Sunset Pond parking lot, and when detectives checked the area, they found several 9 mm shell casings and a live round, records state.
Vera-Yrizarris, as well as other witnesses, said an adult woman, later identified as 45-year-old Tillina Slayer, gave the 15-year-old the gun. During an interview, Slayer told detectives she wanted it to be a fair fight and when she noticed she and her group were outnumbered, she picked up additional gang members as reinforcements, according to court records.
Witnesses said around 20 to 30 people were involved in the fight, the records state.
Slayer is facing charges of first-degree assault with a firearm and criminal mischief while armed. Her trial is tentatively scheduled for Dec. 10.