Teenager shot and killed downtown, 27-year-old man arrested


A teenager is dead and a man is in custody charged with second-degree murder following a shooting in downtown Spokane Wednesday evening.

The shooting happened around 5:30 p.m. near the intersection of W. Main Avenue and N. Washington Street. The person who was shot was rushed to the hospital where he/she died. Police have not released the victim’s identity, but did say he/she was under 18.

Following the shooting, witnesses say they saw 27-year-old Joel C. Taitch running from the scene. As several bystanders went to give CPR to the victim, others followed the suspected gunman.

Three hours later, officers located Taitch inside of a building in the 200 block of W. Spokane Falls Boulevard. The SWAT team evacuated the building because it was believed Taitch still had a gun.

Around 8:30, Taitch surrendered and was arrested without incident. He’s now in the Spokane County Jail charged with 2nd degree murder.

The identity of the teenager will be released by the Spokane Medical Examiner’s Office.
