Vancouver man ­sentenced in shooting

A Vancouver man who shot at a group of people in the parking lot of Vancouver Plaza was sentenced Wednesday in Clark County Superior Court to nearly two years in prison.

Jace D. Koch, 18, pleaded guilty to second-degree assault and unlawful display of a weapon in connection with the March 15 incident. He also pleaded guilty in a separate case to second-degree assault, unlawful imprisonment and third-degree malicious mischief, all related to domestic violence.

According to a probable cause affidavit, multiple people called 911 about 6:45 p.m. to report that a man in a white 1991 Chevrolet Camaro fired two shots at a group of about 30 people in the 7600 block of Vancouver Plaza Drive.

A responding officer saw the Camaro speeding south on Auto Mall Drive and stopped the vehicle behind a nearby gas station. The driver was identified as Koch. A single shell casing was found on the ground next to the driver’s door of the Camaro when he left the vehicle, the affidavit states.

Officers also recovered a single shell casing in the parking lot where the shooting took place, court records state.

Koch told police he was approached by the group in the parking lot after he had done a “burnout” near where the group was having an impromptu car meeting. He said people became angry over the burnout and threatened to jump him and his friends, according to court documents.

He began to drive away, but the group chased him and began hitting and kicking his car. Koch said he was afraid he was going to be assaulted and was angry about his car being struck, so he pulled out a semi-automatic handgun, pointed it out the passenger side window and fired two shots, the affidavit states.

As part of a global resolution of both cases, Koch was sentenced to 22 months in prison.