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Two Eastern Washington football players seriously injured in downtown shooting

Police tape sits near the scene of a shooting that happened in the early hours of Saturday at the intersection of West Main Avenue and North Division Street. Two men were shot and sent to the hospital, and police have not made any arrests. The investigation is ongoing. (Will Campbell/The Spokesman-Review)
By Will Campbell willc@spokesman.com(509) 459-5513

Two Eastern Washington football players were taken to the hospital after being shot in the early hours of Saturday in downtown Spokane’s central bar district, at the intersection of West Main Avenue and North Division Street.

The victims, Dehonta Hayes, 22, and Keith Moore, 21, were hospitalized with serious injuries, according to Cpl. Ronald Van Tassel, spokesman for the Spokane Police Department.

Dehonta Hayes
Dehonta Hayes

Keith Moore
Keith Moore

Dave Meany, spokesman for Eastern Washington University, said the student athletes are expected to make a full recovery.

Police had not made any arrests in connection to the shooting as of Saturday evening, according to Van Tassel, but police will release information on any suspects later in the investigation.

The shooting happened at about 1:22 a.m. Police did not release the circumstances around the shooting.

Nearby officers, who were stationed near the downtown bars where the shooting occurred, immediately rendered aid to the two adult male victims before paramedics arrived, according to the news release.

Two cars were also hit with bullets, Van Tassel said.

SPD’s Major Crimes Unit investigated the shooting and interviewed witnesses.

Any witnesses who have not spoken to police or anyone with pertinent information are asked to call Crime Check at (509) 456-2233 and use reference No. 2019-20129656.

Hayes is 5-foot-11, 195 pound redshirt senior defensive back from Tacoma. Hayes finished with 87 tackles last season, the third most on the team. He also started all four games in the FCS Playoffs and was listed as a starter at safety on the preseason depth chart.

Moore is a 6-4, 290-pound redshirt junior defensive lineman from Bremerton, Washington. Moore played in 10 games last season, totaling 15 tackles and four sacks. He was listed as a starter at defensive line on the preseason depth chart.

“University leadership, including athletic director Lynn Hickey, is working with head football coach Aaron Best to monitor the situation,” Meany wrote in a news release.

“Our first priority is to provide support and comfort to the students, their families, and their friends,” he said. “Our thoughts are with them during this difficult time.”