3 arrested after drive-by shooting in Vancouver, police chase ends with crash into MAX train

VANCOUVER, Wash. (KPTV) - A drive-by shooting in Vancouver led to a police chase that ended with the car crashing into a TriMet MAX train in downtown Portland.

Around 3 p.m., on Thursday, Vancouver police responded to a call about a drive-by shooting at the Alder Creek Apartments on Northeast 49th in Vancouver.

No one was injured in the shooting. Officials on scene gathered information on the suspects description and car but could not locate the shooter.

People living at the Alder Creek Apartments say they were not shocked to see police investigating another drive-by shooting in their parking lot. Cherysa Washington says she’s seen at least a handful from her bedroom window.

“It just seems like everybody’s lost their morals and their common sense,” Washington said.

Her daughter was getting off the school bus when the latest drive-by happened on Thursday afternoon.

“Cops had already gathered, you know, taking pictures of the bullet casings and all of that. And she goes ‘oh mom, there was another shooting today!’ and I said, ‘what makes you say that?’ and she goes ‘all the cops that are outside,’” Washington said. “That’s not something I should hear coming out of my 9-year-old’s mouth.”

Around 5:53 p.m., a call from concerned citizens reported a suspicious vehicle parked in the 4600 block of Northeast 112th Avenue. The callers claimed the occupants were wearing ski masks and holding rifles.

Police found the Kia and discovered it had been reported stolen out of Portland.

Officers attempted to pull over the car but the driver continued. A chase continued into Oregon over the Steele Bridge and ended when the car crashed into a TriMet MAX train near Northwest Third Avenue and Northwest Glisan Street. Three suspects in the car were arrested without further incident.

According to police, they also recovered two guns had been thrown out the window of the stolen car during the chase.

No one on the MAX train was injured, but the force of the crash disabled the train and the passengers were moved onto another train.

The suspects were identified by Portland police as 27-year-old Zachary Aaron Bruce, a 16-year-old boy from Vancouver and a 17-year-old boy from Vancouver.

Bruce has been charged with two counts of felon in possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of machine guns, certain short-barreled firearms and firearms silencers, attempting to elude police, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, possession of a stolen motor vehicle, and reckless driving.

The 16-year-old boy was charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, unlawful possession of a loaded firearm in public, unlawful possession of firearms, unlawful entry into vehicle, and first-degree disorderly conduct. The 17-year-old is charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, possession of a stolen motor vehicle, unlawful possession of firearms, and unlawful possession of a loaded firearm in public.

The Vancouver Police Department Safe Streets Task Force and Neighborhood Response Team are continuing the investigation.

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