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WSU football player shot at party, suspect identified as UW student

A WSU player was shot early Sunday morning, Sept. 21, after the Apple Cup. Pullman police are searching for the suspect. (Tyler Tjomsland/The Spokesman-Review)
A WSU player was shot early Sunday morning, Sept. 21, after the Apple Cup. Pullman police are searching for the suspect. (Tyler Tjomsland/The Spokesman-Review)
By Greg Woods and Alexandra Duggan The Spokesman-Review

PULLMAN – Washington State University redshirt freshman offensive lineman Sone Falealo was shot after the Apple Cup early Sunday morning by a University of Washington student, according to court documents.

Pullman Police have identified the suspect in the shooting as 20-year-old Jakori Buchanan. Court documents indicate he is a UW student living in Tukwila, Washington. Police secured an arrest warrant for Buchanan Monday afternoon and intend to charge him with first- and fourth-degree assault.

Ronnie Rae, Buchanan’s attorney, said in a statement that the shooting was in self-defense, and Buchanan’s cousin Marque Madden was “severely injured” in the fight. Rae is “assisting with the logistics of Jakori’s return to Whitman County to turn himself in now that his cousin is receiving the urgent medical care he requires.”

“Jakori intervened and saved his cousin’s life,” Rae’s statement said.

Falealo was at a party at the Aspen Heights Apartments at 3125 NW Cottonwood Lane with his two friends, Jaylin K. “JC” Caldwell and Xavier Thorpe, both also offensive linemen at WSU. The three were asked to be there to act as security for the party, according to court records.

Buchanan allegedly assaulted a girl during a party at the apartment, according to court records. She told police Buchanan had tried to punch her in the face, but missed and struck her in the chest. Buchanan tried to punch her again, court records say, so she punched him back. That’s when Falealo, Caldwell and Thorpe attempted to intervene, according to the documents.

Falealo confronted Buchanan, and that’s when he was shot. He “didn’t remember much after that,” court records say. He is expected to make a full recovery.

Thorpe told officers he called police after he saw the suspect and his friends get into a dark sedan and drive away. Pullman Police have identified Buchanan’s car as a gray 2025 Hyundai Sonata with Minnesota plate REW514.

Buchanan had not been arrested as of Monday afternoon. The car he was driving was a rental and located at SeaTac.

“Washington State University can confirm that one of our student-athletes was the victim of a shooting that occurred at an off-campus gathering,” WSU spokeswoman Pam Scott said in a statement to The Spokesman-Review. “The student is currently recovering and his family is with him in Pullman.”

WSU said students impacted by the incident can access services from Counseling and Psychological Services by calling (509) 335-4511 or other services through the dean of students office.

An Alaska native, Falealo started his career at nearby Idaho, where he did not play as a true freshman last season. During the offseason, he transferred to WSU, where he has yet to see the field through the first four games of this season.

In high school, Falealo was an MVP offensive lineman for West Anchorage. In his senior year, he was named First-Team All-CIC and First-Team All-State. He helped lead the squad to an Alaska state championship title.