A man was shot and killed Monday evening at Chesterley Skate Park in Yakima while trying to stop a fight, according to police. The man, 36-year-old Raul R. Macias, was with his children when things took a deadly turn.
According to reports, just after 7:20 p.m., officers were called to the skatepark following reports of gunfire. When they arrived, they found Macias with a gunshot wound. Despite efforts to help him, he died at the scene. Witnesses told police he had stepped in to try and break up a fight involving three men, including the alleged shooter. His kids saw everything happen.
One person at the park captured the moments leading up to the shooting on their phone. According to Yakima Police Captain Chad Janis, the incident may be tied to gang activity. The suspected shooter is believed to be part of the Norteño gang.
“The victim was simply trying to protect others, including kids nearby. He wasn’t involved in the argument at all,” said Janis. “He stepped in to stop things before they got worse, and he lost his life doing that.”
The suspect, a 22-year-old man from Yakima, was arrested not far from the scene with help from the Washington State Patrol and the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office. Officers recovered two guns and a fired shell casing. The man had a history with law enforcement, including a 2019 assault conviction and a more recent domestic violence case that made it illegal for him to own firearms.
He has now been booked for second-degree murder.
Captain Janis acknowledged that Chesterley Park is a place many people in the community visit regularly. “We believe it’s still a safe area, but what happened is deeply upsetting. The community came together quickly to help us identify who was involved, and that cooperation means a lot,” he said.
The Yakima Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit is leading the investigation. No other injuries were reported, and authorities are continuing to gather more details from witnesses.
For now, a family is left grieving. A group of children witnessed something no one ever should. A father stepped in to stop violence—and became a victim of it.