A 20-year-old man was shot and killed early Saturday on Woolsey Road in Yakima, after a large gathering nearby preceded an exchange of gunfire between multiple people. Responding officers found the man in the street around 12:49 a.m., and he died at the scene.
According to FOX 13 Seattle, an initial investigation by the Yakima Police Department revealed that a large gathering had formed before multiple people exchanged gunfire, leaving the young man dead. Police said that people in attendance appeared to be gang-affiliated, though investigators have not identified a suspect or released any suspect information. The investigation remains ongoing.
What Police Know So Far
Details remain limited as the case unfolds. Officers have not said how many people were involved in the shootout, and no arrests have been announced. Yakima police are asking anyone with information to come forward by calling the department at 509-576-6752.
The shooting adds to a year that had otherwise shown signs of improvement on Yakima's violent crime front. The city recorded nine homicides in 2025, down from 14 the year before, a count described as the second lowest in a decade, according to yakimaherald.com. Two of last year's homicides were confirmed to be gang related, the outlet reported.
A City Tracking Broader Crime Trends
Yakima's overall crime numbers moved in a similar direction last year. Burglaries dropped 30% from 363 in 2024 to 253 in 2025, and motor vehicle thefts fell nearly 43%, from 429 to 245, per the same yakimaherald.com report. The report also noted that the police department's patrol division is fully staffed at 124 officers this year.
It is not yet clear whether Saturday's shooting will factor into any gang-related classification for 2026, and police have not said whether the gunfire itself, rather than just the people present, was connected to gang activity. The Yakima Police Department has not identified a suspect, and the investigation into the 20-year-old's death continues.
