The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

WALLA WALLA —The Walla Walla County Sheriff’s Office (WWSO) is asking for the public’s help regarding a shooting incident that occurred on August 5.

Around 8:30 p.m. on Friday, WWSO deputies were dispatched to Nightingale Canyon, just east of Walla Walla, for a hunter who had been shot and needed help. The reporting party told dispatch that their hunting partner had legally shot a bear and went across the canyon to locate the animal. The reporting party had stayed behind to observe the track of the animal, which is a common hunting practice. They heard a rifle shot, and watched as their hunting partner fell down to the ground and rolled downhill. The reporting party said they heard voices from within the canyon.

The reporting party crossed the canyon and located their hunting partner, who had an obvious gunshot wound from a high-caliber weapon, according to a WWSO release. The reporting party looked in the direction of the sound of the gunshot and observed a person running north through a farm field.

The victim was bleeding profusely. Multiple people assisted with life-saving measures, and the injured hunter was transported to a local hospital, where they remained as of Monday.

The reporting party provided information about vehicles seen in the area and, prior to the partner shooting at a bear, heard voices south of them in the canyon from at least two other hunters. Search warrants are being applied for however, the suspect(s) remain at large.

Anyone with information that may be useful in identifying suspects should contact the Walla Walla County Sheriff’s Office dispatch at (509) 527-3265 and reference case number 2022-6318.