In the early hours of January 18, 2016, a promising young Hispanic man's life was tragically cut short in Spokane, Washington. Eduardo Villagomez, a 21-year-old male, was fatally shot outside the Palomino Club. He was a student at Eastern Washington University with aspirations of becoming a physical therapist and was poised to be the first in his family to graduate from college.
The night of the incident, an altercation that began inside the club spilled out into the parking lot after a
party honoring Martin Luther King Jr. A gun battle erupted between two groups of men, and Villagomez, an innocent bystander, was caught in the crossfire as he was trying to leave. He was struck by a bullet and later succumbed to his injuries. Surveillance footage from the club showed Villagomez being shot and then run over by a car that was fleeing the scene.
The investigation into the shooting led to the arrest of three suspects: LaShawn D. Jameison, 21, Kwame D. Bates, 26, and Anthony G. Williams, 22. Jameison was an athlete on the Eastern Washington University football team but was dismissed following his arrest. Bates voluntarily went to the police and admitted to firing his weapon during the altercation, stating it was in self-defense.
All three men faced charges related to the death of Villagomez. Williams, who police believe initiated the gunfight, was charged with second-degree murder and pleaded guilty. He was sentenced to ten years and three months in prison. Jameison and Bates were also charged with serious offenses, including drive-by shooting and first-degree murder, on the grounds that their participation in a gun battle in a crowded area showed an extreme indifference to human life. In addition to the criminal proceedings, the mother of Eduardo Villagomez filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the three men.
