Vancouver Mall shooting suspect denied bail; Prosecutor said he 'terrorized this society'

VANCOUVER Wash. (KPTV) – The man accused of killing one person and wounding two others at the Vancouver Mall on Halloween was denied bail Thursday.

Travis Ward appeared before Clark County Judge on Thursday The 32-year-old faces first-degree murder and assault charges.

Ward’s attorney requested $25,000 bail, but the prosecutor’s office argued Ward was a danger and said, “These actions terrorized this community.”

The judge agreed and ordered Ward to remain in custody without bail.

“It is difficult to think of an environment that would be more dangerous to the public,” the judge said.

RELATING TO:

Two men injured in the shooting at the Vancouver Mall on Thursday were at their homes Sunday to recover from their wounds.

Vancouver police said Ward walked into the Vancouver Mall with his mother, his girlfriend and his girlfriend’s daughter.

Court documents say 26-year-old James Perez was trick-or-treating with his family when, around 7:30 p.m., Ward briefly followed Perez – wearing a ‘Joker’ mask – and allegedly shot Perez in the back. head in the distance.

“Mr. Perez emerged, distracted by his phone. “He was looking for his own autistic son when he left the shopping centre,” the prosecutor said in court.

Ward allegedly fired more bullets, hitting two more men in the process.

Kevyn Tomasini was in line at the trampoline with her two children, ages 5 and 12, when she heard gunshots.

“Unexpectedly you hear a really loud bang and I look over there and at that moment I see the guy fall and the other guys are shooting at him,” Tomasini said.

Tomasini took immediate action to protect her children.

“My little boy is clinch my legs, and I’m holding him,” Tomasini said. “I grab him. We run for safety. Everyone runs screaming.”

RELATING TO:

Families across Southern Washington say this Halloween lacks its usual cheer. So two parents gave their Vancouver kids a second chance on Sunday’s Halloween night.

After looking for shelter, he decided to help Daniel Martin, who was shot in the foot.

“I helped him take off his shoes, I found a bunch of little napkins,” Tomasini said. “I turned into a larger napkin, applied firm pressure to his foot so that we needed something like a tourniquet, which comes across as a belt binding his foot.”

Daniel Martin and Brandon Layrer, who were shot below the ribs, survived.

Tomasini said her children endured the situation, but she hopes Ward will suffer the consequences.

“For this to happen in a place where there are a lot of kids and adults running around,” Tomasini said. “Anyone could have been shot, a little child could have been beaten, I hope he gets what he deserves.”

Vancouver police say they believe this was a targeted attack.

Ward is expected to appear in court again on December 12.

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