Tragedy Strikes Twice: Teen Shot After Mental Health Crisis

Two years after losing her daughter to leukemia, Kim Carroll faced another profound loss when her 17-year-old grandson, Carter Cochran, was shot and killed. Cochran, an aspiring firefighter and devoted Christian, was experiencing what his grandmother described as a mental health crisis. He reportedly sought to be with his mother, having been the one to find her body two years prior. The incident occurred when Cochran approached a car in Spokane Valley, leading to a confrontation where the driver, who was armed, shot him. The Spokane County Sheriff's Office is investigating the shooting, which occurred around 8:10 p.m. near 16th Avenue and South Union Road. The driver's identity has not been released, and no arrests have been made. Cochran is remembered by friends and family as a joyful, funny, and deeply loving individual, whose aspirations extended to volunteering with the Moscow Fire Department.

Friends of Cochran noted his behavior had become erratic prior to the shooting, with one friend recounting how Cochran had approached a car and expressed a desire to be with his mother. The friend attempted to intervene when the driver exited the vehicle with a gun. Despite being pronounced dead at the scene from gunshot wounds, the Spokane County Medical Examiner ruled the death a homicide. Carroll expressed her grief and confusion, questioning the actions that led to her grandson's death. The article also touches upon the increasing rates of suicide among Black youth, with Carroll hoping Cochran's race was not a factor in the shooting. Support has been mobilized for Cochran's friends through school counselors and a GoFundMe campaign.