Anthony Govanny Mendoza-Salazar, 19, was found unresponsive after a vehicle rolled and came to rest submerged in an irrigation canal near the intersection of Indian Church Road and State Route 223 in Granger, Washington, on the evening of September 28, 2023. Deputies also received a separate call that night about a gunshot victim about a mile away on Schuster Road; investigators connected the two scenes and treated the case as a homicide.

Family members told detectives that Mendoza-Salazar had been shot while driving, a report that investigators say led to him losing control of the vehicle and crashing into the canal. Officials have said the shooting may be gang-related. An autopsy was scheduled to determine whether death resulted from gunshot wounds or from the crash and submersion.

No arrests have been announced and authorities have not identified suspects. Anyone who has information about Anthony, the shooting, or movements in the area that evening is asked to come forward.