On a summer day in August 2017, a trip to Spokane took a tragic turn for 24-year-old Jose Ismael Hernandez-Soto. The young man from Selah, Washington, was visiting the city with his girlfriend, her younger brother, and a friend. They had spent some time at Riverfront Park and the mall, enjoying the day.
After returning to their car near Washington Street and Main Avenue in downtown Spokane, the group was preparing to leave.
As his girlfriend entered an address into the GPS, Hernandez-Soto, who was in the driver's seat, asked her 16-year-old brother to hand him a black rifle he had brought with them. Moments later, a loud boom echoed inside the vehicle. Hernandez-Soto had been shot in the abdomen.
His girlfriend and the two teenage boys immediately got out of the car to try and help him, but his injuries were too severe. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The Spokane County Medical Examiner later confirmed that he died from a single gunshot wound.
During the investigation, witnesses told police the shooting was a tragic accident. The 16-year-old who had been holding the rifle reportedly exclaimed that he thought the safety was on. In an interview with investigators, he expressed his disbelief, stating, "Don't want to believe the gun was in my hand but it was." The teenager was subsequently charged with second-degree manslaughter.
