On a summer evening in Kennewick, Washington, a lingering dispute turned fatal for 26-year-old Caucasian male, Taylor Scoles. The events of July 6, 2024, began to unfold with an argument in the parking lot of a WinCo Foods on Clearwater Avenue. This confrontation was an escalation of a disagreement that had occurred just days earlier, on July 2, at a convenience store.
Following the argument at the grocery store, Scoles, accompanied by his brother and his brother's girlfriend, Leah Hamm, followed a group of four teens to the nearby Crown Village apartments.
The conflict continued in the apartment complex parking lot around 7 p.m. When Scoles stepped out of his car, the situation escalated dramatically as one of the teens, 16-year-old Angel V. D. Correa, opened fire. Scoles was struck multiple times in the chest. He was rushed to a local hospital but ultimately succumbed to his gunshot wounds. During the chaos, Leah Hamm was also shot once in the left forearm after she began screaming.
In the aftermath, Kennewick police launched a homicide investigation. While suspects were identified relatively quickly, the initial investigation was hampered by witnesses' fear of retaliation. Eventually, investigators were able to arrest Correa. According to court documents, Correa had allegedly told a friend a week or two before the shooting that he wanted to "get a body" that summer. After his arrest, Correa reportedly admitted to being the shooter.
Angel V. D. Correa, who turned 17 after the incident, was charged as an adult. He faced charges of first-degree assault for the shooting of Leah Hamm and illegal possession of a firearm. Prosecutors did not charge him with murder, citing a possible claim of self-defense. Correa pleaded guilty to the charges. He expressed remorse in court and was sentenced to four years in a state detention center. The tragedy left a lasting impact on Scoles's family, including a young daughter who will now grow up without her father.
