A Yakima County jury has found 22-year-old Israel Barriga-Vargas guilty of second-degree murder in the shooting death of 18-year-old Salvador Granillo Jr., a Seattle teen killed at a Terrace Heights house party. After about eight hours of deliberations, jurors returned the guilty verdict, and Yakima County Superior Court Judge Jared Boswell immediately revoked Barriga-Vargas' bail and ordered him held in custody until sentencing.
According to Yakima Herald‑Republic, the jury not only convicted Barriga-Vargas of second-degree murder but also found that a firearms enhancement applies, which tacks an additional five years onto any prison term and cannot be reduced through good-time credits. Prosecutors argued that Barriga-Vargas shot Granillo three times at the front door as the teen tried to come back inside to return his girlfriend’s car keys. The defense countered that Barriga-Vargas fired in self-defense. Witnesses testified that Barriga-Vargas spat in Granillo’s face and that Granillo responded by punching him once before the shooting.
What Happened at the Party
Court records and local reporting say the shooting unfolded on Easter morning 2025 at a home in the 1500 block of South Keys Road in Terrace Heights, where a party had been going for some time. As described by KIRO 7, a dispute at the front door escalated quickly, and several people at the gathering tried to step in before the gunfire.
Local outlets identified the victim as Salvador “Junior” Granillo Jr., a Garfield High School senior. He was taken to MultiCare Yakima Memorial Hospital and later pronounced dead, according to FOX13 Seattle.
Next Steps and Legal Implications
As reported by Yakima Herald‑Republic, sentencing is set for May 11, 2026, and Judge Boswell has ordered Barriga-Vargas held in the Yakima County jail until then. The jury’s special finding that a firearm was used triggers a mandatory five-year enhancement that prosecutors say will be added on top of any prison sentence the judge imposes.
Throughout the trial, Barriga-Vargas' attorney insisted he acted in self-defense, while prosecutors maintained he was the one who started the confrontation at the door and then escalated it with lethal force.
Community Reaction
In Seattle, Granillo’s classmates and staff at Garfield High School spent much of last year mourning his death. Vigils and on-campus memorials drew students, teachers and community members who remembered him as a promising senior whose life was cut short, according to FOX13 Seattle.
The case also prompted a multi-agency manhunt before Barriga-Vargas was taken into custody. The Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force worked with Yakima-area law enforcement to track down the suspect, according to NBC Right Now, underscoring how a house party in Terrace Heights quickly turned into a regional homicide investigation.
