3 people shot outside Cheney Zip’s Drive-In; police say incident may have been connected to massive early morning fight

Three people were hospitalized Saturday after an early morning shooting in the parking lot of Zip’s Drive-In in Cheney.

Police at the scene said none of the victims sustained life-threatening injuries.

All are men in their early to mid-20s. The shooter has not been taken into custody, and his identity is unknown at this time.

The incident occurred at approximately 4 a.m. The restaurant, located at 911 First St., is open 24 hours a day.

Cheney police Capt. Rick Beghtol said witnesses reported between four and 15 shots had been fired from across the street. “I think it was closer to 15,” he said.

Beghtol said that, earlier in the morning, a massive fight with around 500 people present had broken out on Alki Street, and the shooting may have been connected. Such fights are common, he said, and usually stem from parties organized over social media that draw people from outside Cheney to the town.

All three of the victims live outside Cheney, he said. None are students at Eastern Washington University.

First Street near the restaurant is currently blocked for about a block in both directions, and will likely remain closed until around 1 p.m. Spokane County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes detectives have taken over the investigation.

Police said there is no danger to the public at this time.

Cheney resident Louis Chambers, who lives about a block away from the resident, said he was awakened by a continuous series of 15 or so gunshots. He went to his balcony, he said, and heard someone scream “That’s my brother.”

“Then it went quiet,” he said.

A security guard is sometimes stationed in the vicinity of the restaurant, but Beghtol said he doubted if the guard had been on duty at the time.

It is Homecoming Weekend for EWU this weekend. The university’s football team is playing University of Idaho today.

EWU spokesman Dave Meany said the victims were not students, but EWU police is assisting in the investigation, and as a precaution, “extra security measures will be in place for the safety of all guests on campus today.”

Spokane County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with information to call Detective Mike Ricketts at (509) 477-6646, reference No. 10150813.