The search for the gunman who shot and killed a 13-year-old boy in Kent began Tuesday night.
There are now two neighborhoods in Kent being impacted by this.
The shooting happened just before 9pm Tuesday at Turnkey Park on 100th Avenue Southeast in Kent. Police say someone drove the 13-year-old victim about a half-mile to the Kentwood Apartments and dropped him off.
That’s where he died.
On Thursday, the King County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the boy as Matthiew Stavkovly of Kent. His death was ruled a homicide. He died from a gunshot wound to the torso.
A verified GoFundMe fundraiser was created to help his family with funeral expenses.
No one in the Kentwood Apartments knew this teenager, but they still feel the loss. The loss of any life is upsetting in any way. But the fact that he’s only 13 is resonating with many here. The fact that he was found here makes it even more worrying.
It’s a devastating sight, the desperate fight to prevent a tragedy, a mortally wounded 13-year-old boy left at the Kentwood Apartments on Tuesday night.
“It’s terrible,” said neighbor Francisco Sanchez. “We have to get rid of the guns.”
Sanchez says he woke up to bright lights that indicated Kent police were nearby. In fact, they were in the parking lot in front of his apartment in Kentwood. Then, he began to record what he saw.
“It breaks my heart,” Sanchez said. “My son lives in Sacramento. I just came from San Diego, through Sacramento, to here. And then seeing that, yeah.
“I heard some noise,” Gary Sayers said, “some pops.”
Sayers, who lives nearby, said he believed he heard the gunshots.
“I just saw a kid,” Sayers said. “I didn’t know. I just heard a noise, turning left there. And I did not know. I just found out this happened. Is very bad.
Witnesses told Kent Police they heard gunshots just before 9pm on Tuesday in Turnkey Park, about half a mile away. Then they saw a group of young people running on foot. The neighbor declined to be identified, but says she also heard the shots.
“And we went out to see what was going on and the road was blocked off and they had crime scene tape all over the street, lots of police cars and crime scene tape in the park,” she said. “So, you didn’t realize that a child had been shot. Not until I went down and talked to someone who was there.”
The teenager died on the sidewalk of the Kentwood apartments where he was lying. The impact of this being felt by people he will never meet.
“Really scary,” Sayers said, “because I have grandchildren that age.”
Kent Police later found a stolen vehicle near the scene. They are trying to determine if he was involved in the shooting.
Kent police have been silent since the shooting. This leads us to believe the shooter is still at large. We’ll let you know if and when this changes.
