Late-night gunfire near Evergreen Park in Vancouver sent two teenage boys to local hospitals Friday, both with non-life-threatening injuries. Officers were called to the East Fourth Plain Boulevard area around 11:30 p.m. after multiple people reported hearing shots and running from the scene. Police say the teens are expected to survive.
According to KATU, responding officers found several shell casings near the park. The victims were identified as a 16-year-old who was taken to a hospital by responders and a 17-year-old who got to a hospital on his own. The Major Crimes Unit and the Crime Reduction Unit are leading the investigation.
Where It Happened
Evergreen Park is a four-acre neighborhood park along East Fourth Plain Boulevard in Vancouver’s Fourth Plain Village, according to the City of Vancouver. The city lists the park’s address as 3500 E 4th Plain Blvd and highlights playgrounds, paved trails and picnic shelters.
The park is also part of the city’s Fourth Plain for All investments and has roughly $1 million in ARPA-funded upgrades planned, the Fourth Plain for All details.
Investigation And Public Safety
Investigators are processing the scene and reviewing the shell casings as they work to determine what led up to the shooting. So far, no arrests have been announced and authorities have not released any suspect descriptions. City officials have not indicated any immediate changes to park programming in response to the incident.
Regional Context
Shootings near parks have been cropping up across the Portland-Vancouver metro in recent weeks, from Sellwood Riverfront Park to Northgate Park, according to local reporting. Those incidents have stirred debate about park safety, youth gatherings and whether more patrols or expanded community programs can help keep public green spaces calmer. Recent coverage has chronicled several of those incidents.
The investigation into the Evergreen Park shooting remains active, and officials say they will release additional details as they become available. This story will be updated as authorities share more information.
