Man dies following Washington Avenue shooting

DAYTON–A Dayton man is in custody in the Columbia County Jail on charges of First-Degree Manslaughter following an incident here Monday evening, June 20, involving a firearm that apparently resulted in the death of a 54-year-old man whose last known address was Walla Walla.

Christopher (NMI) Gonzales was pronounced dead at Dayton General Hospital after sustaining a single gunshot wound to the chest, according to Prosecuting Attorney and Coroner C. Dale Slack and information released by the Sheriff's Office.

The 22-year-old male suspect was booked into the jail on June 20 on probable cause for Manslaughter First Degree. He was scheduled for a probable cause hearing on June 22, Slack said, and his office has 72 hours in which to formulate charges. Slack and the Sheriff's Office withheld his name until his first court appearance over concerns for his safety.

The investigation is ongoing. "This is a factually complex case," Slack told the Dayton Chronicle Tuesday. "There are questions still unanswered that may make a difference on how he is charged."

Deputies responded to 118 E. Washington Avenue to a shots-fired call at 6:02 p.m. June 20. Upon arrival, deputies discovered Gonzales on the second floor of the apartment with a gunshot wound to the chest. Fire District No. 3 ambulance transported the injured man to Dayton General Hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries, a news release from the Sheriff's Office indicated.

The Washington State Patrol Crime Scene Team has been requested to respond with specialized equipment to assist the Sheriff's Office with its investigation.

CCSO deputies responded immediately to the call and determined that no further threat from the alleged shooter existed, the news release stated.