The tragic event at the Vancouver Mall was quite devastating. A shooting occurred on October 31st, 2024 at around 7:30PM. Travis L. Ward, the alleged shooter, is a 32-year-old man who wore a “Joker” mask during his attack.
He injured two people and left another dead. He followed his victim for a short time before shooting him point-blank in the head in the food court. After his body had dropped, he continued to unload his bullets, which then ricocheted into two other victims. According to Becca Robbins, a Columbian staff reporter, “Court records do not indicate a motive for the shooting, or whether the suspect and victim knew each other.” The victim was identified as James Perez; he was pronounced dead once the officers arrived. Two other victims, Brandon Leyrer and Daniel Martin, were struck in the foot and torso and discharged from the hospital the next day.
Travis appeared in the Clark County Superior Court on the following Monday. He faced charges of first-degree murder and two counts of first-degree assault. Prosecutors intend to charge him with unlawful possession of a firearm as well. He was said to have traveled with two women and a child, who were later revealed as his mother, along with his girlfriend and her child. His girlfriend was said to have called local police with a sense of confusion. “She didn’t know why her photo was being circulated,” as stated in an article by Becca Robbins. The security footage shows that nobody he was traveling with was aware he shot someone. The police later arrested Travis Ward at his apartment on Saturday. He then appeared in court on the following Monday. He is set to stay in jail with no bail until his bail hearing on December 12th.
This tragedy that occurred in the Vancouver Mall has affected the entire community. Although this may have seemed small, it has traumatized many people. Perez’s child will have to live with no father, and the other two victims may have PTSD and possibly permanent damage to the body as well. The children and family will all remember this moment, hoping Ward’s sentence is worth it. The community is still attempting to recover from these losses as they move on.
