Man in court in central Vancouver shooting that left one dead, one wounded

A judge set bail at $1 million for a 19-year-old man accused of shooting two people, killing one of them, during a fight last month outside of a central Vancouver bar.

Kevil “Kevin” Kidion appeared Tuesday in Clark County Superior Court on suspicion of second-degree murder and first-degree assault. He is scheduled to be arraigned Sept. 18.

Judge David Gregerson called the shooting a “very alarming, very serious incident with lots of moving parts.” Senior Deputy Prosecutor Toby Krauel said that the surviving victim, identified in court records as Lamont F. Davis, 30, is expected to recover from his injuries.

Krauel said Kidion has no criminal history. He said Kidion’s ties to the community were unclear because the 19-year-old has a Texas driver’s license.

Prior to the shooting, Vancouver police responded at 1:41 a.m. Aug. 12 to Sea Mar Family Housing at 7803 N.E. Fourth Plain Blvd. for reports of an argument between a man and a woman in the parking lot.

Officers learned the fight was between a couple who were residents at the complex. Police said the pair both denied any assault. The man, identified as Davis, said he’d been drinking and decided to walk away and call someone to pick him up. Officers wrote a report about their response, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Davis told officers he walked back to the Spot Tavern, 7225 N.E. Fourth Plain Blvd., to meet up with friends. On his way, he said he noticed a BMW drive by and recognized his girlfriend’s son and her daughter’s boyfriend inside. When he arrived, Davis saw the car parked in the lot, and he said he fought with the daughter’s boyfriend. Eventually, the fight ended and they group left in the BMW, court records state.

While Davis and a friend, identified as Gary D. Smith, 34, waited for a ride, the BMW returned, along with a truck. Davis said a large group got out of the vehicles, including his girlfriend, her children and their friends. Davis said while he argued with his girlfriend and her daughter, others began surrounding Smith. Davis went over to Smith, and a fist fight broke out, he said. At one point, he said someone pulled out a gun and shot him, according to the affidavit.

“Lamont (Davis) said he dragged himself away when he heard several more shots, which resulted in the death of Gary (Smith),” the affidavit states.

Davis’ girlfriend told officers in an interview after the shooting that Davis had punched her in the mouth during their argument, but she hadn’t reported it when police arrived. But, she said she told her son and daughter he’d hit her. Shortly after, she said, her son and others went to the Spot Tavern where they saw Davis and Smith. She said when they returned from their initial fight with Davis and Smith, she decided she wanted to confront Davis again, the affidavit states.

The group drove back to the bar, and the woman said others were also there, including Kidion, who was a friend of her son’s. The woman said when she heard gunshots, she ran back to the apartment complex. She denied any involvement in facilitating the fight, according to court records.

The woman’s daughter said her brother had told Kidion what his mom had said about Davis hitting her before Kidion and his friends followed them to the bar, the affidavit states.

The woman’s son said he was knocked out during the fight, and when he regained consciousness, he heard gunshots. He said he’d seen Kidion with a gun earlier in the night. He also told officers he talked to Kidion after the shooting. Kidion told him he’d shot someone and later said he shot “both of them,” according to the affidavit.

A man who traveled with Kidion to the bar said they joined the group to confront Davis. He said Kidion’s cousin fired one shot into the air, which hit something on the roof of the bar. He said he then saw Kidion grab the gun from his cousin and start shooting. He said he drove away from the shooting scene with Kidion and his cousin, but he said he eventually kicked the two of them out of his car, court records state.

Officers arrested Kidion on Friday. Police said Kidion admitted in an interview to shooting Davis and Smith. He told them he was scared because he knew Davis to carry a gun, but he said he never saw a gun on him, according to the affidavit.