The search is on for the gunman who shot and killed a 13-year-old boy in Kent Tuesday night.
Now there are two Kent neighborhoods being impacted by this.
The shooting happened just before 9 p.m. Tuesday night at the Turnkey Park on 100th Avenue Southeast in Kent. Police say someone then drove the 13-year-old victim about a half mile to the Kentwood Apartments and dumped him off.
That is where he died.
On Thursday, the King County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the boy as Matthiew Stavkovly of Kent. His death was ruled a homicide. He died from a gunshot wound to the torso.
A verified GoFundMe fundraiser was created to assist his family with funeral expenses.
No one at the Kentwood apartments knew this teen, but they are still feeling the loss. The loss of any life is upsetting anyway. But the fact that he was just 13 years old is resonating with many here. That he was found here makes it more troubling still.
It is a devastating sight, the desperate struggle to prevent a tragedy, a 13-year-old boy, mortally wounded, dropped off at the Kentwood apartments Tuesday night.
“It’s terrible,” said neighbor Francisco Sanchez. “We’ve got to get rid of the guns.”
Sanchez says he awoke to the bright lights that indicated Kent police were nearby. Indeed, they were in the parking lot across from his Kentwood apartment. So, he started recording what he saw.
“It breaks my heart,” Sanchez said. “My son lives in Sacramento. I just came from San Diego through Sacramento to here. And then to see this, yeah.”
“I heard some noise,” Gary Sayers said, “some pops.”
Sayers, who lives nearby, says he thinks he heard the gunshots.
“I just seen a kid,” said Sayers. “I didn’t know. I just heard some noise, turning left there. And I didn’t know. I just found out that happened. It’s pretty bad.”
Eyewitnesses told Kent Police they heard gunshots just before 9 p.m. Tuesday night at Turnkey Park, about a half mile away. Then they saw a group of young males running on foot. This neighbor didn’t want to be identified, but she says she heard the gunshots, too.
“And went out to see what was going on and the road was blocked off and they had crime scene tape around the street, a lot of cop cars and crime scene tape in the park,” she said. “So, you didn’t realize a child had been shot. Not until I went down and talked to someone who was standing there.”
The teenager died on the sidewalk at the Kentwood apartments where he lay. The impact of that being felt by people he will never know.
“Really scary,” said Sayers, “because I got grandkids that age.”
Kent police later found a stolen vehicle near the scene. They are trying to determine whether it was involved in the shooting.
Kent police have been mum since the shooting. That leads us to believe the shooter is still on the loose. We’ll let you know if and when that changes.
