Morgan Moses Sampson, Gang-Related Drive By Shooting, Washington 2014

Grimy Times has learned that a Wapato man was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in a gang-related drive-by shooting that left a young child injured.

Morgan Moses Sampson, 24, was sentenced by United States District Judge Salvador Mendoza, Jr. for operating a vehicle during the drive-by shooting. Sampson, along with three other individuals, engaged in target shooting on March 21, 2014, in a residential area. The group had consumed a significant amount of alcohol and marijuana before deciding to look for Sureno gang members.

At approximately 5:00 p.m., the men spotted what they believed to be a rival gang member and began firing shots from the vehicle. Sampson drove the vehicle very slowly, allowing the shooter to have a better chance of hitting their target. Unfortunately, the shooter mistakenly hit a young child who was playing outside, resulting in eight rounds being fired.

Sampson sped away from the scene in an attempt to distance himself from the crime, but a neighbor witnessed the shooting and immediately called the police. Law enforcement responded quickly and apprehended Sampson and the other three men.

According to United States Attorney Michael C. Ormsby, the success of the investigation was due to the strong working partnerships between the Yakama Nation Tribal Police, the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office, the Washington State Patrol, and the FBI.

Sampson will serve 10 years in Federal prison followed by a three-year term of court supervision upon release. The incident highlights the devastating consequences of gang-related violence and the commitment of law enforcement to aggressively prosecute such crimes.

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