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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

South Hill residents concerned after Manito Park shootings; Spokane police say patrols will increase

The water level of Mirror Pond in Manito Park has been lowered so the shoreline can be lined with basalt boulders. A asphalt path around the pond is also planned for the project. COLIN MULVANY colinm@spokesman.com (COLIN / SR)

Four days after three people were hospitalized in an apparent party-turned-shooting frenzy in Manito Park, some South Hill residents are questioning if the city and police are doing enough.

No arrests have been made. The three people shot in the thigh, leg or foot are not being cooperative as police await results of a car search.

Matthew Clark, who has lived in front of the park’s duck pond on 18th Avenue for eight years, says after-hours park activity happens “like clockwork” every summer – some of which end with people getting hurt, as was the case with last weekend’s incident.

“It almost seems rotational,” he said.

Last year, when a woman was shot in the arm in broad daylight on Aug. 20, Clark said police presence around the park was “quite significant,” with patrol cars passing by their house two to three times a day. He said it stayed that way until the end of summer.

But after Saturday morning’s shooting, he said that wasn’t the case.

“It’s the evening and early morning response times that really seem to lack,” he said.

Clark said dozens of kids were partying into early hours of the morning near the pond. When four or five shots rang out and then 30 seconds later four or five more, he said kids dispersed, running and screaming into neighbor’s yards and hiding in bushes.

At least three people were shot: an adult male in the thigh, who was transported to Providence Holy Family Hospital, and two other unidentified males who checked themselves into Holy Family.

After the commotion died down, Clark said the party-goers got into their cars and left the same way they came in: through the park’s entrance on 18th and Grand Boulevard.

By the time police arrived, only one car remained, which was stopped and searched because police could see a gun in clear sight, said Officer John O’Brien, spokesman for the police department.

Spokane Police Major Kevin King said police are stepping up their presence in the park with increased prowls.

“We have in the past had issues in Manito Park, and so we know that as we put some resources in there, it’s going to have some effect in the long term over the summer,” he said. “Situations like this is what we’re certainly trying to avoid from happening.”

But King said resources are stretched too thin to have dedicated patrols every night.

City Councilwoman Lori Kinnear agreed. She said for the next budget, she’s requesting funding to hire 10 more police officers.

“I don’t know if we’re going to get it, but I don’t believe we’re adequately staffed,” she said.

Clark said he supports law enforcement, but criticizes the lack of police presence in his neighborhood and other areas of the South Hill. Particularly in the winter time, when thieves stole packages from people’s doorsteps.

Meanwhile, he and his neighbors feel uneasy about letting their children play in the park when the sun starts to set.

“It seems like every three or four years, a new group of kids causes problems,” he said. “Especially after this incident, I do have concerns if my kids were in the park late at night.”

City Parks Director Leroy Eadie said staff are aware Manito Park is a hotspot for late-night gatherings – particularly areas with poor lines of sight from main roads. He said staff will periodically rove around city parks after hours, which in Manito Park’s case is 11 p.m.

He said the duck pond and nearby parking lot, where Saturday’s shooting took place, wasn’t a well-known location.

“It’s a big park, and there are lots of different places people can go,” he said.

Clark wonders if installing a gate at the park’s entrance would deter teenagers from partying in areas that have easy access to roads.

Eadie said park staff have considered the approach, but want to make sure it’s still as open to the public as possible.

“In our experience, gating can help in some situations,” he said. “But Manito is a pretty porous park. You can just walk onto it.”

Contact the writer: (509) 459-5013 jonathang@spokesman.com