Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
GARFIELD –– Travis Gaines, 20, was arrested and booked into the Whitman County Jail on Sunday, Nov. 5, following a dispatch call of gunshots heard in town.
Gaines was charged with two counts of assault in the first degree, three counts of reckless endangerment, three counts of aiming and discharging a firearm and one count of concealed pistol violation.
Reports say Joe Handley, Garfield Police Department Marshal, was called by a local apartment manager, Shon Clark.
Clark reportedly told Handley there was a party at the “Collier” apartment and a male from Walla Walla had just fired three rounds into the ceiling of the apartment before leaving to return to Walla Walla.
Clark showed Handley security camera footage of Gaines verbally arguing with Jim Clark.
Handley reports that Gaines can be seen in the video footage walking off-screen and then appearing back on screen with a black semi-auto handgun from his waistband. He reportedly put the gun to the side, racking it back, before raising the handgun and firing three rounds into a covered awning in the area of West California Street.
In the footage, Gaines then briefly points the gun at a crowd of people before pointing it to the chest of Jim Clark.
“Shon walks me over to where the bullet holes were in the ceiling,” said Handley, “based on my training and experience, I believed the holes to be from a pistol.”
Handley contacted the Whitman County Sheriff’s Office, and together, they determined that the suspect had left the area. They located three 9mm shell casings and found the shell casings were consistent with the video footage and physical evidence of the bullet holes.
Travis Gaines was arrested after Handley spoke to witnesses about where he may have fled.
Reports say dispatch located a vehicle that matched the descriptions given by witnesses and Gaines was taken into custody.
Olivia Harnack is a Journalist at the Whitman County Gazette. Olivia is enrolled at University of Idaho and is majoring in digital film studies. She serves in the United States Army National Guard and is proud to serve Whitman County.
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