Court dismisses charges for one suspect in shooting outside The Hop! nightclub

Spokane County Superior Court will dismiss charges against one of the suspects involved in September’s deadly shooting outside The Hop! nightclub. Kalen Bedford, 23, will no longer face charges in the shooting of Julian Morrison, 26, outside the Monroe Street music venue on Sept. 8, according to a Spokane Police Department news release. He is still a person of interest in the shooting. Carlos Fuentes, 25, remains in custody on charges of first-degree murder and 12 counts of drive-by shooting. Police say that just before midnight, the shooter or shooters opened fire on Morrison. Investigators said the confrontation stemmed from a fight between gang members, exacerbated when a rap artist set to appear at the club didn’t show. Police say though there were many witnesses on the scene, many were not forthcoming with information, complicating the investigation. Earlier this month, Fuentes asked the court to dismiss the charges against him, but Judge Ellen Kalama Clark ruled police had provided enough evidence to show Fuentes was “was involved in some kind of incident or confrontation with the deceased.” Witness statements, however, indicated Bedford was the only one who fired at Morrison. Police provided no additional information about why the charges were dropped, but said Major Crimes detectives are continuing to investigate the shooting. Police encourage anyone with additional information to contact Crime Check at (509) 456-2233.