Two people are dead following a late-night shooting Saturday in Longview, and a Kelso man has been arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder following a police pursuit.
Officers with the Longview Police Department (LPD) were dispatched at about 10:45 p.m. on Saturday, April 11, to a reported shooting in the parking lot of the AWPPW Hall in the 700 block of 15th Avenue. When officers arrived, they identified a suspect vehicle leaving the area and initiated a pursuit, a news release by LPD stated.
Police said the pursuit traveled into West Longview before circling back through the city. During the chase, the suspect allegedly threw a semiautomatic handgun from the vehicle window. Officers later recovered the firearm, the release stated.
The pursuit ended back at the AWPPW Hall parking lot, where the suspect stopped the vehicle and fled on foot. Officers apprehended him after a brief foot chase.
At the scene of the shooting, officers found two victims suffering from critical gunshot wounds. Both individuals died from their injuries, according to LPD. Authorities said approximately 200 people were present at the hall at the time of the shooting, the release added.
The suspect, identified as 49-year-old Andres Carrasco-Sanchez, of Kelso, was arrested and booked into Cowlitz County Jail on two counts of first-degree murder.
Multiple agencies responded to assist, including the Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office, Kelso Police Department and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the release stated.
Detectives remained on scene overnight processing evidence, the release stated. Police indicated no further information is expected to be released at this time as the investigation continues.
