Three Charged with Attempted Murder in Mount Vernon Shootings

Mount Vernon, WA- The Skagit County Prosecutors Office has charged three people with attempted murder in the first degree for their involvements in two shootings in Mount Vernon on December 15th, 2016.

According to charging documents from the Skagit County Prosecutors Office, 16-year old Austin Gonzales has been charged  with Attempted Murder in the  1st degree, a Class A Felony,  for his involvement in the December 15th shooting of Mount Vernon Police Officer Mike McClaughry.  Mr. Gonzales has also been charged with Attempted Murder in the Second Degree for the shooting of Kyler Parker, aka Kyler Vallejo earlier  the same day.

Ernesto Rivas, 44 of Mount Vernon has been charged with one count of Attempted Murder in the First Degree, a Class A felony for his involvement in the shooting of Officer Mike McClaughry. Additional Charges are expected against Mr. Rivas.

A 15-Year old who has not been identified due to his age, has been charged with one count of Attempted Murder in the first degree, a Class A Felony for his involvement in the shooting of Mount Vernon Officer Mike McClaughry. He has also been charged with one count of Attempted Murder in the Second Degree, a Class A felony,  for his involvement in the shooting of Kyler Parker, Aka Kyler Vallejo. Prosecutors have requested to charge him as an adult.

According to charging documents in the case, 19-year old Kyler Parker, a known Sureno gang member,  was riding in a car with several other people just before 5:30 pm on December 15th when the car broke down due to a flat tire. Detectives have only identified the people in the car by their initials. PARKER called a relative for help who showed up and took one of the subjects  to get a tire for the vehicle.

Witnesses told Officers that two individuals, approached the vehicle that was broken down from a residence located North of the vehicle. The subjects were described as a heavy-set Hispanic male with a red bandana over his face wearing a black and gray shirt and a thinner, taller Hispanic male with medium length wavy hair wearing a black beanie cap and khaki pants. Witnesses reported to Officers that the  male with the red bandana over his face pulled out a revolver from his waistband and shot PARKER in the neck before running from the scene with the gun still in his hand.  Witnesses then observed as both  males ran to  824 N. Laventure Road, where they entered the backyard of the residence through a fence on the property.

A 9-1-1 call was placed to Skagit County Dispatch and Mount Vernon Fire, police and EMS were called to a possible shooting in the 900 block of N. Laventure Road. Fire Units were cancelled as the shooting victim was being transported to the Hospital by a private vehicle. At 5:36 pm the subject later identified as Kyler Parker arrived at the hospital with a gunshot wound to the neck.

As Officers, including Officer Mike McClaughry interviewed witnesses and tried to  piece together the details of the shooting scene, a Mount Vernon Police K-9 team tracked from the scene of the initial shooting toward 824 N. Laventure Road, which led Officers to that address.  The K-9 picked up scents at both the front and back door of the residence.   Additional Officers from multiple agencies were called to assist and  set up containment around the home in the area of 824 N. Laventure Road.

Containment Officers observed surveillance cameras that were mounted on the exterior of the home and watched as Mount Vernon Officers approached the home from the West side of the residence,  calling out to the subjects inside.   Within seconds after Mount Vernon Officers approached the front door of the residence, multiple gunshots were fired from inside the residence, striking Officer Mike McClaughry.  A Sedro Woolley unit on scene  reported to Cascade Dispatch at 7:27 pm that “Mount Vernon has shots fired.”

Mount Vernon Officer Liz Paul and Detective Ben Green dragged Officer McClaughry away from the residence as the suspect(s) inside continued to shoot at Officers and Containment Officers returned fire to provide cover.

At 7:28 pm, an Officer requested dispatch to “get us an ambulance here now.”   Using a police vehicle, Officers transported Officer McClaughry away from the house at 824 N. Laventure to a safer location where medics were staging in a safe zone to meet them.

Medic 2 transported Officer McClaughry priority to Skagit at 7:34 pm and requested dispatch to notify Skagit Valley Hospital of an incoming Priority Trauma, Gunshot wound to the head. Medic 2 arrived at Skagit at 7:37 Pm. Officer McClaughry was then transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where is still at today in critical but stable condition.

Containment units remained on scene for several hours and reported subject(s) inside the house shot at them when they turned on police spotlights. The shooting would stop when the police lights were turned off.

Officers interviewed a woman who described herself as being a relative of Ernesto Rivas and someone who he confides in. She told Officers that RIVAS had called her and admitted to her that he had shot an Officer in the head and said that RIVAS would probably “die tonight”.   RIVAS called local police dispatch (Skagit 9-1-1) where his cell call was transferred to police negotiators on scene. During his conversation with negotiators, RIVAS referred to Police Officers as “fucking pigs” several times and asked negotiators where he had shot the Officer, asking if he had shot him in the chest or head.  During the negotiations detectives were able to determine that it sounded as though there were juveniles in the background that were joking around and having fun during the stand-off.

RIVAS was taken into custody by Law Enforcement after chemical agents were deployed into his residence. Also taken into custody at the same time were 16-year old Austin Gonzales and the 15-year-old teen.  Nobody else was found in the residence.

RIVAS was transported to the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office and given medical treatment for his exposure to the chemical agents. Rivas was wearing a black long sleeve shirt underneath a black T-shirt and black pants.  He had a 9mm magazine and 9mm ammunition in his pant pocket.  Rivas was read his rights and agreed to speak to Detectives.

RIVAS told detectives that he is a Norteno gang member and when Officers came to his house he became nervous about the body armor and numerous weapons he had inside.   Norteno gang refers to a criminal organization associated with the color red, the number 14 and the letter “N”.  They are also known as “North Side” and “North Siders” among other things.  They are a rival to the Sureno gang.

RIVAS did not admit to shooting Officer McClaughry but said once Officer arrived he “strapped up” by putting on his body armor and loading his firearms.  RIVAS also told Detectives that he had several explosive Molotov Cocktails in his yard.  Officers on scene  later found four Molotov Cocktails in a garbage can on the property.

16-Year old Austin Gonzales was also  transported to the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office and interviewed by Detectives. Gonzales was wearing a red jersey, and blue jeans. He was read his Constitutional rights and also agreed to talk to Detectives. GONZALES admitted to Detectives that his DNA may be present on a gun in the house and on some body armor located in the house. He also told Detectives that he met with (15-year-old suspect) earlier that day and they were at RIVAS house “smoking weed.”

The 15-Year old Suspect was transported to the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office and interviewed by Detectives. He was wearing a white long sleeve shirt underneath of a black T-shirt with the words “North Side” and North Sider” imprinted on it. He had a black San Francisco hat with blue pants.  He is described at being 5’11” tall with medium length wavy brown hair and light facial hair. He was read his Constitutional rights and also agreed to answer questions.  The teen told Detectives that he arrived at RIVAS home between 3:30 and 4:00 pm and he didn’t recall who was there when he arrived, but did say RIVAS roommate was there, but didn’t know his name and couldn’t describe him.   He told Detectives that he didn’t leave the residence or go anywhere from the time he arrived until the police arrived.  He said he knew a Police Officer had been shot but did not shoot the Officer.  He described RIVAS residence as a Norteno Gang house.

During a follow up Investigation, another witness reported that during the initial shooting of PARKER, RIVAS was standing near his fence yelling at the shooters that they needed to shoot at them, referring to the group whose vehicle had broken down.

RIVAS has been convicted of EIGHT prior  Felony Offenses, which includes two crime of violence-Assault 2 and Attempted Assault 2. He is restricted from possessing a firearm.

Detectives served a  Search Warrant at the 824 N. Laventure road address and recovered four weapons, including a .38 caliber revolver, a .22 caliber semi-automatic pistol, a 9mm semi-automatic pistol and a .22 caliber rifle.  They also seized an undisclosed amount of  ammunition from within the residence.   Detectives located a black and grey sweater as well as several pieces of body armor, including  two sets of Body armor in the hallway.

During a search of RIVAS cell phone, several text messages were recovered where he exchanged messages with associates, including one message where RIVAS wrote “No o just shot a cop” when someone asked if he was ok. Several messages encouraged RIVAS to give up.

The investigation into the two shootings is ongoing.