Shooting of two juveniles in Mill Creek lands man 14-year prison sentence

Published 1:30 am Monday, May 11, 2026

EVERETT — A 21-year-old Snohomish County man will spend nearly a decad and a half behind bars for shooting a 17-year-old and a 12-year-old outside a Mill Creek apartment complex last year.

Issac Rosas Vivas was sentenced to just over 14 years in prison during a hearing in Snohomish County Superior Court on Thursday after pleading guilty to a pair of felony assault charges earlier this year, according to court documents.

On the evening of June 2, 2025, sheriff’s deputies and police officers found two juveniles shot after responding to reports of gunshots outside the Gateway Apartments on 21st Drive in Mill Creek just off 132nd Street and the Bothell Everett Highway, court records from the time of the arrest said.

A 12-year-old was taken by helicopter to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with gunshot wounds to his cheek and neck, court records said. A bullet was lodged in his brain and a gunshot wound to the chest was causing complications to his lungs.

It took more than two weeks for him to regain consciousness, court records said.

A 17-year-old victim had a gunshot wound to his chin, according to court documents.

The older teen told investigators they were hanging out at the apartments when they saw a stranger — later identified as Rosas Vivas — wearing a ski mask, court records said. One of the girls they were with asked to hit the man’s vape and she was allowed, then the 17-year-old said he asked to do the same and that’s when the man pulled out a gun and opened fire, court documents said.

Witnesses told deputies the man mentioned his gang-affiliation before the shooting, court documents said.

Investigators found fresh, blue graffiti nearby known to be associated with the “Outwest” street gang covering up other red graffiti, according to court records. Detectives said crossing out and painting over a gang’s graffiti is often seen as a challenge or sign of disrespect.

Deputies responding to the shooting saw a man who matched the suspect’s description and chased him on foot, court records said. During the chase, deputies said the man dropped a pistol that was recovered by law enforcement. Investigators also found red spray paint in Rosas Vivas backpack, court documents said.

Rosas Vivas told deputies he was defending himself when he opened fire, according to court records. He alleged someone in the group took out a gun and hit him with it before he began shooting.

Rosas Vivas allegedly told investigators, “I’m in the wrong, I know that,” court documents said.

Detectives said they did not find any other guns at the scene, and Rosas Vivas had no signs of injuries from being hit by a gun, court records said.

Rosas Vivas later changed his story and said there wasn’t a gun, but he did fear for his safety, according to court documents. He said he saw a group tagging the wall with blue paint before the confrontation began.

Prosecutors charged Rosas Vivas with first-degree assault with a firearm and second-degree assault, court documents said. He pleaded guilty to both felony charges in March. The prosecution and defense agreed to a 171-month sentence, according to court records.

In a written victim impact statement submitted after sentencing, one of the teens described living in fear since the attack.

“… it has been hard to go out in public Thinking I will get shot again or feeling like I’m being watched I get very bad anxiety and panic attacks,” the older teen wrote. “I can’t be in large crowds anymore I’m very secluded inside The house I don’t communicate with people like I used to everytime I look at myself in the mirror I see the bullet That left That scar That I Have to Look at everyday.”

Ian Davis-Leonard: 425-339-3097; ian.davis-leonard@heraldnet.com