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Suspects in downtown Spokane bar district shooting released from jail

Many people were in the bar district for Halloween parties when shots were fired on Saturday.

SPOKANE, Wash. — Two people arrested in connection to a shooting in Downtown Spokane early Sunday morning have been released from the Spokane County Jail, according to the jail roster.

Destiny Tensley and Emmanuel Tensley were arrested on Sunday.

The shooting the two were involved in was one of two different shootings in the area that night. The shootings took place within minutes of each other

A larger amount of people than normal were in downtown Spokane for Halloween parties at several bars, police said.

First shooting stemmed from fight

An officer working in the area of Main Avenue and Division Street was flagged over to Borracho’s just after midnight on Sunday for reports that a man shot someone. When the officer arrived, he saw a man being held down on the ground with a gun laying close to him.

Officers later said there was a fight outside of Borracho Tacos and Tequileria where the man pulled a gun and fired one round. No one was hit and police do not believe the man fired the gun at a specific person.

Borracho Tacos and Tequileria issued a statement Monday on their Facebook page saying they are "disappointed and alarmed" to hear about what happened. 

"At Borracho we were disappointed and alarmed to hear about the incident that occurred in front of the establishment in the early hours of Sunday morning on October 27th. The situation involved an individual that discharged a weapon in the air along the sidewalk, which thankfully did not result in any injuries.

We are incredibly grateful to the brave and quick thinking law enforcement officers, staff, and passerby’s that were able to quickly subdue the individual and eliminate any threats to the large crowds enjoying the Halloween celebrations.

Borracho’s first priority has always and will continue to be the safety of its guests. We take pride in the high staff to customer ratios, training, and the additional security that we have always provided in order to quickly and safely respond to situations such as this."

Second shooting injures two people

Minutes after closing the crime scene, an officer at 400 W. Sprague Ave. reported he heard numerous shots fired and saw a suspect vehicle drive away. Officers stopped the vehicle at First Avenue and Stevens Street and contacted all occupants, including 24-year-old suspect Destiny Tensley.

Officers went to the scene of the shooting at a large parking lot located on the southwest corner of Sprague Avenue and Washington Street.

Police said shell casings were found in the parking lot but victims did not reach out to police. Two women arrived at the hospital with gunshot wounds that were not life-threatening while police investigated the incident.

Officers learned during the investigation that the shooting was not a random act and both parties knew each other.

Destiny Tensley was booked for two counts of first-degree assault for shooting two people, police said.

The driver of the vehicle, 20-year-old Emmanuel Tensley, was also booked for two counts of first-degree assault. In 2018, he faced robbery and assault charges, according to Spokane County Superior Court records.

Both were later released from jail, according to the Spokane County Jail roster. It's unclear when exactly they were released. 

According to court documents, Emmanuel previously faced charges of robbery, assault and theft in Oct. 2017. 

Both suspects are expected to appear in court at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

Police: Two shootings not related

Spokane Police Sergeant Terry Preuninger told KREM that it appears the shootings were not related. 

Preuninger said officers regularly do emphasis patrols in the downtown area every weekend. He credits those patrols for officers quick responses to both shootings.  

When asked what people can do to protect themselves from a situation like this, Preuninger said people should always be aware of their surroundings. 

"Keep yourself in a place where you can handle yourself and get away from danger if it shows up," he said. 

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