On the night of September 19, 2021, 22-year-old Barry Washington Jr., a Black man who had recently moved to Bend, Oregon, was shot and killed outside The Capitol nightclub in downtown Bend. Washington had complimented a man’s girlfriend inside the club; later that night a confrontation between Washington and that man, Ian MacKenzie Cranston, moved outside and escalated to shoving and punches before a single gunshot fatally wounded Washington. Washington was unarmed when he was shot.

Security camera footage and a cellphone video captured parts of the encounter and were described as key evidence. Cranston was arrested and initially charged with second-degree manslaughter; community outrage followed his release on bail. A Deschutes County grand jury later indicted Cranston on multiple counts, including second-degree murder, manslaughter and weapons charges. At trial the defense argued self-defense, while prosecutors said the fight had ended before Cranston drew his gun; a November 2022 jury convicted Cranston of first-degree manslaughter, second-degree manslaughter, first-degree assault and two counts of unlawful use of a weapon, with a 10-year sentence imposed.

The case has profoundly affected the Bend community and prompted discussions about racism and gun violence. Did anyone who was in downtown Bend that night see or record parts of the confrontation that have not yet been shared with investigators?