On the evening of April 8, 2026, in Spokane Valley, Washington, a 17-year-old Black male named Carter Cochran was fatally shot. Cochran, a student and football player at Lewis and Clark High School with aspirations of becoming a firefighter, was reportedly experiencing a mental health crisis at the time of the incident.
According to the Spokane County Sheriff's Office, Cochran was making statements of self-harm while in the street and stood in front of a car occupied by three people.
He then entered the passenger side of the vehicle. The driver, who was armed, was able to get Cochran to exit the car. The situation escalated into a confrontation outside the vehicle, which led to the driver shooting Cochran. He was pronounced dead at the scene on 16th Avenue and South Union Road. A friend who was with Cochran at the time was unharmed.
Family members have stated that Cochran was unarmed and questioned the driver's actions. His grandmother, Kim Carroll, indicated that her grandson expressed a desire to "be with his mom," who had passed away from leukemia two years prior. She has expressed her belief that his race may have been a factor in the shooting.
As of mid-April 2026, no arrests have been made in connection with Carter Cochran's death, and the driver has not been charged. The Spokane County Sheriff's Office has stated that the investigation is ongoing and has not released the name of the driver. The Spokane County Medical Examiner confirmed that Cochran's death was a homicide due to gunshot wounds. Vigils have been held in his memory, where friends and family remembered him as a kind and joyful person.
