Prosecutors may charge teenager as adult in Everett gang shooting

EVERETT -- The 17-year-old boy accused of shooting two other teenagers last week faced a judge this morning.

He’s being held on $150,000, cash only bail and he’s facing assault charges.

Prosecutors said the shooter is a gang member and he targeted his victims over the color of a piece of clothing.

The shooting happened last Thursday after school hours near Mariner High School and Discovery Elementary School.

District officials have already banned certain clothing they worry could be associated with gangs.

Many parents and students near both schools said they weren’t really concerned about gangs -- until two teenagers were shot. Now gang violence is on everybody’s mind.

“You never know what could happen,” said Mariner freshman Ivy Sorgen. “You could be wearing the wrong color.”

That’s exactly what police said led up to a double shooting that sent teenage siblings to the hospital last week.

Investigators said the suspect admitted to being a gang member and that he confronted another boy for wearing a rival gang’s color, but neither of the two victims had any connection to gangs.

Sorgen said she knows both victims and she did not believe gangs were a problem until last week.

“I didn’t really think about it until the shooting happened,” she said.

Commander Patrick Slack with the Snohomish Regional Drug and Gang Task Force said while Snohomish County doesn’t have big-time gang problems like big-time cities like Los Angeles or Miami, it is problem enough to keep fighting against drug cartels and gang activity.

“We have to continue to be aggressive in our performance in addressing these issues to keep it at level, or what we really want to do is reduce it down farther,” he said.

The signs of gang activity in south Everett are clear, including tagging along many fence lines in the neighborhood.

Sorgen said her family now shuttles her around to keep a close eye on her.

“Mom and my grandma drive me to school and pick me up from school,” she said. “You never know what could happen.”

It’s that kind of family involvement that Slack believes could mean everything for a child’s safety.

“If you don’t get involved. If you don’t have that conversation with your kid, you might not ever get another chance to have it,” he said.

The two teenage shooting victims are recovering from their injuries. The 14-year-old girl was released from Harborview, and her 17-year-old brother is still hospitalized. He’s listed in satisfactory condition.

Prosecutors will consider charging the 17-year-old alleged shooter as an adult in this case.