Multiple shots were fired near the Tau Kappa Epsilon and Beta Theta Pi fraternity houses in the 1000 block of Isaacs Ave. around 2 a.m. on Oct. 6. Damages included parked vehicles and property belonging to Whitman College’s fraternity houses.
According to a press release from the Walla Walla Police Department (WWPD) on Oct. 7, the WWPD reported that no person was struck or injured. WWPD also reported an identified vehicle of interest and damages recorded at the scene.
“A vehicle of interest was identified, and a responding officer spotted a vehicle matching the description of the involved vehicle headed away from the scene,” the report stated, “The vehicle and suspects were not found. Several bullet impacts were found and witnesses described possible suspects that fled the scene.”
Beta fraternity member Kunal Renjen described his experience of the shooting. The bullets were fired into his room while Renjen was sleeping.
“So I was asleep, and I basically woke up to two loud pops, and at the same time I heard this car accelerate and drive away. It was like a huge ass pop, like a firework went off inside. I was just like, What the fuck? And then the bullet went through my window, as you’ll see upstairs, and then into the other wall, and then actually knocked out a smoke alarm,” Renjen said.
Another Beta Theta Pi Fraternity member, Wyatt Washburn talked about how the shots fired could have hit Renjen. Washburn describes his reaction to the shooting.
“When we opened up Kunal’s door, because he came out too, and we noticed, like, pretty much a line of holes coming through. It was just like just thankfulness, honestly, just that it didn’t hit Kunal because it came in clean through his window. It just shock and awe,” Washburn said.
In an email to the Wire, Sgt. Loudermilk of the WWPD reports that multiple 911 calls were made. The case has been turned over to the Walla Walla Regional Drug Gang Task Force and is an ongoing, active investigation. Loudermilk explains the function of the Drug Gang Task Force.
“In addition to drug and gang-related investigations, the Drug and Gang Task force investigates violent crimes. Since this crime involves firearms, we classify this as a violent crime and ask for their expertise to investigate these types of cases,” Loudermik said.
According to the WWPD press release on Oct. 7, the Walla Walla Regional Drug Gang Task Force This case has been turned over to the Walla Walla Regional Drug Gang Task Force and is an active, ongoing investigation. The task force is made up of detectives from the WWPD and the College Place Police Department.
President of Beta Theta Pi, Angelo Santos, described his experience of the event, noting the well-being of Beta fraternity members.
“It’s definitely scary. I never would have imagined anything like this happening in Walla Walla, regardless at Whitman. We got really lucky that nobody was hurt. Our members are a little shaken up, but everyone seems to be in good spirits,” Santos said.
Dean of Students, Kazi Joshua released a safety update to campus on Oct. 9th. In the update, Joshua stated that Whitman placed a security officer near the shooting site to monitor the area and assist students if needed.
In the update, Joshua detailed a recent incident that occurred last weekend where a local resident fired shots at Whitman students who were lost in a rural area off campus. Joshua reports that police have assured the Whitman community that there is no connection between this incident and the other recent gun-related event.
Santos reflects on the outcome of the shooting on Oct. 6. He describes the types of support members have been offering each other.
“Despite all the jokes that have been made around the house, all of us recognize how lucky we got to have made it out safely. We’re doing our best to encourage our members to get the care they need, whether that be talking amongst ourselves or visiting the counseling center” Santos said. “It has been a blessing to have such a close bond between all of us, as we can lean on each other during these hard times. Repairs to all the damage will be underway later this week and early next week. We hope to have that fixed soon to not have a physical reminder of the incident.”
Resources are readily available for students affected by recent incidents of gun violence on and off campus. Whitman’s counseling center is open Monday–Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Crisis Hours are also available Monday–Friday, at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. for any Whitman students who need support. The WWPD also has a Crime Victim Advocate, Emmy Thompson, who can be reached at (509) 524-4526.