Woman shot and killed herself after police chase to avoid jail time, court documents say

A woman discovered with a gunshot wound to the head following a police chase involving teenagers wearing ski masks and firing guns from their speeding car in the area of Market Street and Euclid Avenue last Friday shot herself rather than risk going to jail , according to court documents.

The name and age of the woman, who later died, have not been disclosed.

The episode began after a man discovered tools he said were stolen from his home listed for sale on Facebook Marketplace. He then reached out to the seller and arranged to meet at the parking lot of the Andrew Rypien Field soccer complex, according to a statement provided to investigators. He brought two friends with him in his SUV and called police to tell them of the arranged meeting to recover the thousands of dollars of tools . He had captured the thefts on his surveillance cameras.

At the parking lot, the teens arrived in a 2013 Dodge Dart and pulled on ski masks. At least one was wearing body armor. While the man was on the phone with Crime Check, the teens sped away. The man in the SUV then chased them.

He told police they were “driving aggressively” when two of the people in the car put their arms out of the windows and began shooting.

Police then swarmed the area and pursued the car for a short time until blocking it off near North Hamilton Street and Springfield Avenue. Officers heard a gunshot from the car, the documents said.

They arrested Christopher Gimmaka, Kayden Willoughby and Devin McEwen, all 18, on suspicion of first-degree attempted robbery, conspiracy to commit first-degree robbery and three counts of first-degree assault in connection with the incident.

A 16-year-old, who was not named by police, was booked into the Spokane County Juvenile Detention Center on similar charges.

McEwen told police after the chase that all the occupants in the car go out and “prowl” vehicles with him. He said he had planned to sell the things he steals on Facebook Marketplace, according to court documents.

Once he pulled into the parking lot, he told police he felt uncomfortable with the sale and left.

According to the court documents, McEwen said Willoughby and the woman in the car, known as “Sally,” began shooting at the car behind them using handguns, including one equipped with laser targeting.

Police were soon in pursuit. At times the chase topped 50 mph, and police noted that people in the car were throwing items out the windows, including at least one gun. As police attempted to stop their car, Sally asked McEwen, “Are we good?” or, “Are we going to make it?”

McEwen told her that “they weren’t going to be good.” That’s when Sally shot herself. Sally previously mentioned she “wouldn’t go back to jail” due to additional time she avoided, documents said.

When police stopped the car, the three 18-year-old men got out, along with the 16-year-old boy. Sally was provided medical aid before she was taken to the hospital where she was later pronounced dead.

The chase led to massive traffic jams and confusion in the area. Police said they recovered weapons and bloody ski mask with an apparent bullet hole in it from the car. Another mask was collected outside the car.