Man fatally shot at Yakima skate park tried to stop fight between alleged gang members

YAKIMA, Wash. — --UPDATE May 14--

Jesus Ramiro Rodriguez, the 22-year-old accused of allegedly shooting dead Raul Macias at the Chesterley Skate Park on May 12th, made his preliminary court appearance Tuesday, May 13th.

Judge Jeffery Swan set bail for Rodriguez at $200,000 after prosecutors had argued for a higher amount.

Deputy Yakima County Prosecuting Attorney Richard Petersen claimed that he believed more victims would have likely been shot had the gun that was used not jammed.

Rodriguez, who is described in court records as being transient and a member of the Norteños Gang, remains incarcerated at the Yakima County Jail, facing second-degree murder, second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm and second-degree assault charges.

--UPDATE May 13--

A man was shot and killed at a popular skate park in Yakima Monday evening as he was trying to break up a fight between suspected gang members, according to police.

The shooting occurred just after 7:20 p.m. on May 12th near Chesterley Skate Park.

When Yakima police officers arrived at the park, they found a 36-year-old man who had been shot. That man, later identified as Raul R. Macias, was believed to have been trying to break up a fight between three men, including the alleged shooter.

Macias was shot in the process, which was witnessed by his children. He died at the scene.

Multiple witnesses in the park identified a suspect in the shooting, including one who filmed the incident that led to the shooting on their phone.

Yakima Police Captain Chad Janis said Tuesday that the fight may have been gang related as the suspect is known to be a member of the Norteño gang.

“The victim, who was unfortunately shot and killed, was trying to break up what appeared to be gang members threatening other community members,” said Janis. "He had no connection to the incident that provoked this event—he was simply a witness, trying to protect children from the other offenders that were involved.”

Yakima police assisted by the Washington State Patrol and the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office located the suspect near the area of the park. They also recovered two firearms and one discharged shell casing.

The suspect is a 22-year-old man from Yakima, who was previously involved in a domestic violence incident in 2024. That case led to a ban on him possessing firearms. In 2019, he plead guilty to third degree assault.

He was taken into custody and later booked for murder in the second degree.

"Chesterly Park is a well-used park, as you can imagine, given its location near several places," said Janis. "We still believe it’s a safe area. We’re grateful to the many people who helped us identify the perpetrators—that support is always appreciated. This is a very tragic event, and we want the entire community to be safe, no matter where it happens."

The investigation is being led by the Yakima Police Department Major Crimes Unit.

Anyone who witnessed or may have taken video or photographs of this incident is asked to contact Sergeant Noah Johnson at (509) 576-6874