On a summer night in Vancouver, Washington, what began as a "going-away-to-college" party turned into a scene of violence, leaving two young men dead and two others wounded. Among the deceased was Amadou Na Keita, an 18-year-old Black male from Portland, Oregon, who was looking forward to a future studying mechanical engineering at Portland State University.
The fatal shooting occurred on July 17, 2022.
The party, held at a residence on East 11th Street, had grown from a small gathering of invited guests to a much larger crowd of around 70 people by midnight. In the early morning hours, at approximately 1:20 a.m., gunfire erupted. When Vancouver police arrived at the chaotic scene, they discovered 19-year-old Alexander Castagnoli deceased inside the house. Amadou Keita had been struck by multiple gunshots and died either on the way to or at a local hospital. Two other teenagers, a 17-year-old boy and a 19-year-old man, also sustained gunshot wounds and were taken to an area hospital for treatment.
Investigators believe the shooting was gang-related. According to court documents, one witness reported hearing someone ask, "Who's a Hoover?" just before the shots were fired; "Hoover" is reportedly the name of a gang based in the Portland area. Further investigation revealed that one of the wounded victims was allegedly a member of a rival gang, the Six Deuce Crips. This individual was uncooperative when questioned by detectives. Police found spent shell casings at the scene, along with a Glock handgun with an extended magazine and another loaded pistol inside a backpack.
Despite the dozens of people present at the party, many fled before law enforcement arrived. The witnesses who remained provided limited information about the suspect or suspects. As of late July 2022, the Vancouver police were still seeking to identify at least one potential witness. No arrests have been publicly announced in connection with the deaths of Amadou Keita and Alexander Castagnoli. The investigation into the double homicide remains ongoing as authorities continue to seek information from the public.
