Abel Rocha Jr., a 38-year-old Hispanic man, was shot and killed in Spokane Valley, Washington on January 6, 2025. A confrontation between two groups near Fourth Avenue and University Road escalated into gunfire in the early afternoon. Deputies found Rocha with multiple gunshot wounds; first responders pronounced him dead at the scene. The Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the death a homicide from multiple gunshot wounds.

Law enforcement says everyone else fled before deputies arrived. Investigators located and detained two men near 8th Avenue and Houk Road and executed a search warrant that recovered a second handgun believed linked to the shooting. One of the detained men told detectives he fired at Rocha and claimed self-defense. After interviews both men were released and no arrests were made immediately.

The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office says Major Crimes detectives and the Regional Anti-Violence Enforcement & Narcotics Task Force continue the active investigation and have not ruled out arrests if probable cause is found. Did anyone in Spokane Valley see the confrontation near Fourth and University that afternoon or have information about who else was involved?