On the evening of April 8, 2026, 17-year-old Carter Cochran was shot and killed on a Spokane Valley street. A student at Lewis and Clark High School, Carter lived with his grandparents after his mother died of leukemia two years earlier. He was active in football and track and field and reportedly wanted to become a firefighter.

That night Carter was reportedly having a mental health crisis and made statements of self-harm. He walked into the road on 16th Avenue, entered the passenger side of a car that had stopped, and was later asked to exit. A confrontation outside the vehicle ended when the driver, who was armed, shot Carter shortly before 8:10 p.m. He was pronounced dead at the scene; the Spokane County Medical Examiner ruled the death a homicide from gunshot wounds. A friend who was with Carter was unharmed.

The driver’s name has not been released. Authorities say the driver is cooperating and there have been no arrests or charges announced. Carter’s family has been left searching for answers and his grandmother expressed hope that his race did not factor into the shooting. If anyone witnessed the events on 16th Avenue that night or knew Carter, please share what you know with investigators.