Man shot in car, crashes into yard, dies, police say

VANCOUVER, Wash.  -  A man dies after being shot at while in his car, wounded, and then crashing into a home’s front yard Tuesday evening, police said.

Vancouver police responded to 9-1-1 calls about possible shots fired just before 6 p.m. and found a man near a vehicle who had severe injuries near the intersection of East 33rd Street and S Street in the Rose Village neighborhood.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene after emergency responders arrived and began life-saving measures.

Police said they believe the victim is 45 years old and is a resident of Vancouver.

Police said the victim’s car was in the parking lot of the S&S Mart when someone fired into it, and the car then rolled into the home’s yard across the street.

The woman who lives inside the house where the car crashed was home at the time but wasn’t hurt.

No suspect information is available at this time, but police detained several people a few blocks from the scene of the shooting as persons of interest. They were later released.

Neighbors and police said there was no loud yelling or arguments before the gunfire rang out. Additionally, police said they haven’t found a motive for the shooting.

“I can’t really say specifically that they were targeted,” said Detective Patrick Kennedy of the Vancouver Police Department. “But indications from witnesses – initial witnesses we contacted – and just from the little bit of physical evidence that we do have right now, this doesn’t appear random.”

Rachel Vargas was home with two kids and just two doors away from the shooting scene.

“Actually, just a nice night, giving my daughter a bath,” she said. “I heard two single shots and then four rapidly after that.”