A 15-year-old boy from Wenatchee is suspected of shooting two girls during a gang dispute at the Grant County Fairgrounds in Moses Lake on Friday night.

According to Grant County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Kyle Foreman, the boy pulled out a gun to shoot or demonstrate at a member of a rival gang when he fired a shot.

The bullet struck the boy’s 16-year-old girlfriend in the back and then entered the leg of a 14-year-old girl. The 14-year-old was a passerby and neither girl was the intended target, Foreman said.

The shooting occurred shortly before 9 p.m. in the fairground area of ​​the exhibition center.

The girls were taken to the hospital by ambulance and are in stable condition. Their injuries are serious but not life-threatening, according to a Facebook post from the sheriff’s office. Foreman said the 14-year-old’s wound underwent surgery.

Foreman said the altercation between the gang members caught the attention of officers, who were on the fairgrounds and approaching the dispute area when the shot was fired. Fairgoers pointed at the suspect, who then ran away, the Facebook post said.

Foreman said visitors pushed the boy against the safety railing of a ride and threw him to the ground before officers arrested him. The post said the boy had a gun on him when he was arrested.

According to the sheriff’s office, citizens who were nearby at the time of the shooting provided investigators with several videos showing what happened. Based on those videos and witness statements, the 15-year-old was arrested and taken to the Chelan County Juvenile Justice Center in Wenatchee.

Investigators recommend charging him with two counts of first-degree assault with a firearm, second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon and reckless endangerment.

Foreman said the shooter and his girlfriend attended the mass with their parents.

The fairgrounds were closed for the investigation but resumed normal operations on Saturday, the last day of the fair.

Foreman said there would be a larger police presence at the fair on Saturday, including deputies and officers from other jurisdictions.

He said there are no metal detectors and no bag searches when entering the fairgrounds. Open and concealed carrying of weapons is permitted at the fair, he said.

Foreman said the sheriff’s office will work with fairgrounds staff on improved security measures in the future.

On Thursday evening, a 17-year-old boy was arrested at the fairgrounds on suspicion of illegal possession of a firearm, trespassing and a felony warrant, according to a Facebook post from the sheriff’s office.

In a second incident that same night, a fight was reported, again involving a minor with a handgun. The minor was released to his parents and a report was filed with the Grant County District Attorney’s Office to review charges, the post said.

The sheriff’s office continues to investigate the shooting.

Anyone who witnessed the shooting and has not yet spoken to investigators is asked to call (509) 762-1160 and reference case number 24GS10016.