2 charged in Granite Falls drive-by shooting

Published 8:53 pm Wednesday, December 9, 2015

EVERETT — Two men are now charged with drive-by shooting for gunfire that broke out at a party in Granite Falls in May.

Prosecutors allege Victor Dawkins pulled a 9mm handgun during a dispute and “started shooting wildly.”

No one was hit. But a neighbor heard the shots, ran outside with his own handgun and returned fire on a vehicle leaving the scene.

The vehicle’s driver, Nestor Reyes, also is charged with drive-by shooting, a felony. Neither defendant has prior criminal history.

Witnesses told detectives a fight broke out May 23 at a house party on W. Wallace Street. The fight spilled outside onto the street and in front of the duplex. That’s when Dawkins, 21, allegedly went for his gun and started shooting.

“Miraculously, no one was struck by the bullets,” Snohomish County deputy prosecutor Chris Dickinson wrote in charging documents.

Dawkins reportedly ran to a sport utility vehicle and fired the handgun through the open sunroof.

A neighbor, who came outside because of the commotion, yelled that he was calling police. He heard the shots from the fleeing vehicle, and told detectives he heard bullets strike the duplex near him, so he drew his gun and shot back.

He hit the SUV several times as it drove off.

By then, numerous people had called 911 and deputies were racing to the scene. One deputy spotted the SUV and stopped it a short distance away. Reyes, 19, allegedly was driving and Dawkins was inside. Detectives spotted a handgun under Dawkins’ seat.

A search of the vehicle turned up a 9mm pistol. Deputies recovered multiple shell casings outside the party location.

Dawkins allegedly denied being involved in a shooting. He admitted that there had been a fight but said he and his friends left. He and Reyes were arrested.

Two other passengers in the SUV also were arrested. No charges have been filed against them.

Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463; hefley@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @dianahefley.