In the summer evening of July 26, 2019, a burst of gunfire shattered the peace at Eastgate Park in Kennewick, Washington, leaving a 29-year-old Hispanic man, Armando Rodriguez-Willis, dead at the scene. The tragic event unfolded around 8 p.m. near the Benton County Fairgrounds, where police arrived to find a chaotic scene with Rodriguez-Willis fatally wounded and three other individuals injured.
The immediate aftermath of the shooting saw a significant police presence, with Kennewick
police and Benton County sheriff's deputies securing a large area of the park. Investigators, with assistance from the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab, combed the area for evidence, using a drone to get a comprehensive view of the scene. Authorities quickly stated their belief that the shooting was gang-related.
In the days following the incident, law enforcement officials remained tight-lipped about the specifics of their investigation. They did not publicly identify the number of shooters involved and stated that they were considering everyone present at the time of the shooting as a potential suspect. The names of the three individuals who were wounded in the attack were not released, though it was reported that they were taken to a local hospital and expected to recover from their injuries.
As of the immediate reports following the shooting, no specific suspects had been named or arrested in direct connection with the death of Armando Rodriguez-Willis. The investigation into the gang-related shooting was described as active and ongoing, with authorities appealing to the public for any information that might lead to a felony arrest in the case. Rodriguez-Willis, a father, was remembered by his family as someone who had a big heart and could light up a room.
