Julie Humphreys, Public Safety Communication Manager, 509.625.5868
Thursday, May 5, 2022 at 12 p.m.
Update 11/18/22:
Drive-by shooter who shot and paralyzed a woman is sentenced to a decade behind bars
On 11/17/22 a Spokane man plead guilty to one count of 1st degree assault in a drive-by shooting last May that left a woman paralyzed. Gregory Lynch was sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by 36 months of community custody. He was also issued a lifetime no contact order with the victim and ordered to pay restitution for the victim’s medical expenses.
Lynch, who is 20 years old has 3 prior felony convictions for assault.
Update 9/9/22:
Two additional arrests in drive-by shooting spree last May
Members of the Safe Streets Task Force arrested two males this week for involvement in a series of drive-by shootings on 5/02/2022. On Wednesday 9/07/2022, Zachary D. Seeton, age 23, was arrested and charged with 2 counts of Drive-by Shooting and 1 count of 1st Degree Assault. Today, 9/09/2022, task force members arrested a juvenile who faces the same charges. The Safe Streets Task Force has worked tirelessly on this case and this week was able to remove two more violent offenders from the streets.
Additional charges are pending in the May 2nd shootings and detectives have developed information suggesting Seeton and the juvenile may have involvement in other shootings as well. Seeton remains in the Spokane County Jail on $750,000 bond.
***The Spokane Regional Safe Streets Task Force is comprised of members of the FBI, Spokane Police Department, Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, Spokane Valley Police Department, United States Border Patrol, and the Washington State Department of Corrections.***
Original release 5/5/22:
SPD makes arrest in a series of drive-by shootings this week
Last night – 5/04/2022 – Spokane Police arrested Gregory Lynch, age 20 and charged him with four counts of Drive-by Shooting, 1st Degree Assault, and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm. The charges stem from multiple drive-by shootings on Monday night – 5/02/2022 (see attached original media release) – and a drive-by shooting on Tuesday night – 5/03/2022 – in the 1500 block of E. Liberty that have terrorized community members and resulted in one woman being gravely injured. Lynch is believed responsible for firing more than 40 rounds at homes, cars, and neighborhoods in the past two days.
A collaborative effort by multiple law enforcement entities made this arrest possible within 48 hours of the first shooting resulting in a dangerous felon being taken off the streets. The Spokane Regional Safe Streets Task Force was charged with identifying and locating the suspect. SPD resources including SIU (Special Investigative Unit), members of the newly formed Violent Crimes Task Force, SWAT, Hostage Negotiation Team (HNT), K-9 and Drone Teams, and the Domestic Violence Unit all assisted in the arrest of Lynch, with additional help from the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office Drone Team, Spokane Fire Department, and the Spokane Prosecutors Office.
Law Enforcement teams located Lynch at an apartment in the West Central neighborhood around 8pm. SWAT and HNT members and other resources surrounded the apartment and worked for more than three hours to safely get Lynch to surrender. Ultimately, Lynch exited the house and was taken into custody.
Lynch was booked into the Spokane County Jail. He has three prior felony convictions for assault.
SPD would like to thank our partner agencies and the community members who assisted and provided tips/information in this case.
***The Spokane Regional Safe Streets Task Force is comprised of members of the FBI, Spokane Police Department, Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, Spokane Valley Police Department, United States Border Patrol, and the Washington State Department of Corrections.***
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Social services and community resources like housing, food, and employment help: call 211
For general police email contact:
SPDWebMail@spokanepolice.org
Julie Humphreys
509.622.5868
jhumphreys@spokanepolice.org