A decide on Thursday ordered the Vancouver Mall capturing suspect stay held within the Clark County Jail with out bail, regardless of protection requests to set a bail quantity.
Travis L. Ward, 32, is charged in Clark County Superior Court docket with first-degree homicide, two counts of first-degree assault and one depend of second-degree illegal possession of a firearm. The charging info states prosecutors are looking for an exceptionally excessive sentence for the homicide cost, if Ward is convicted, due to the hazard to mall patrons.
Protection legal professional Renee Alsept requested Decide John Fairgrieve to set a bail quantity for Ward. She pointed to Ward’s legal historical past, saying his prior convictions had been nonviolent. She additionally famous he has sturdy ties to the neighborhood and a spot to dwell domestically if he posted bail.
However Senior Deputy Prosecutor Jessica Smith pointed to the severity of the capturing within the mall, which was crowded with adults and kids for a Halloween trick-or-treating occasion.
“These acts terrorized this community,” Smith mentioned.
If Ward is convicted, Smith mentioned she intends to ask for the assault and homicide cost sentences to run consecutive to one another, which might be along with 15 years for firearms enhancements.
In ordering Ward be held with out bail, Fairgrieve mentioned he thought-about the possible trigger affidavit within the case and Ward’s legal historical past, which features a prior felon in possession of a firearm conviction. He additionally famous the psychological impression to everybody on the mall throughout the capturing.
“It’s hard to think of a type of environment that would be more dangerous to the public,” the decide mentioned.
Ward is scheduled to be arraigned Dec. 12.
Taking pictures
Legislation enforcement from a number of businesses responded to the mall at 7:28 p.m. Oct. 31. Once they arrived, they discovered a person, later recognized as James Perez, 26, on the bottom within the meals courtroom with gunshot wounds. He was pronounced useless on the scene, based on a possible trigger affidavit.
Officers additionally discovered two different individuals, recognized as Brandon Leyrer and Daniel Martin, had been struck by bullets, within the stomach and the foot, respectively, courtroom data state. They had been handled at an area hospital and launched the subsequent day.
Mall surveillance video confirmed an individual, later recognized as Ward, carrying blue track-style pants, a black hoodie and a Joker masks following Perez for a short while earlier than capturing him at the back of the top at point-blank vary. Ward might then be seen firing a number of extra rounds as Perez dropped to the bottom. Ward then ran from the scene, based on the affidavit.
Perez’s girlfriend informed police she and Perez went to the mall to trick-or-treat with their youngsters. She mentioned their son turned separated from them, they usually had been on the lookout for him when Perez was shot, courtroom data state.
Investigators decided Ward was with two girls and a toddler in a fancy dress till simply earlier than the capturing, they usually all left the mall collectively afterward, based on the affidavit.
One of many girls then contacted police, and he or she informed them she is Ward’s girlfriend. They had been on the mall along with her baby and Ward’s mom for trick-or-treating, she mentioned. She didn’t know Ward had shot anybody, she mentioned, based on courtroom data.
Investigators mentioned primarily based on surveillance video, it didn’t seem any of the ladies with Ward knew of the capturing, the affidavit states.
Officers had been then capable of finding Ward on Nov. 2 at his residence, 13906 S.E. 18th Circle, and arrested him. Investigators confirmed Ward the surveillance video, however they mentioned within the affidavit Ward wouldn’t admit to the capturing or present an evidence for capturing Perez.