A judge set bail at $2 million for a Vancouver man accused of fatally shooting another man Wednesday afternoon at a park in the Van Mall neighborhood.
Machou Machou, 23, appeared Thursday in Clark County Superior Court on suspicion of second-degree murder. He’s scheduled to be arraigned Feb. 12.
An attorney filling in for Machou’s defense attorney told the judge Machou had been homeless and couldn’t afford to post much bail. He also noted Machou had indicated to police the shooting was in self-defense. The attorney, along with the prosecutor, said they weren’t able to find that Machou had any criminal history.
Vancouver police responded at 4:24 p.m. to Jaggy Road Park in the 4500 block of Northeast 72nd Avenue for reports of a shooting. When officers arrived, they found a man dead from apparent gunshot wounds, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Authorities have not yet released the man’s identity. Court records identify him only by his last name, Lopez Flores. Vancouver police said in a statement he was 21 years old.
Officers detained Machou, whom police say was running away and matched the shooter’s description. Machou had a handgun in his possession, and officers learned he’d abandoned a bag before police stopped him, court records state.
Investigators viewed nearby surveillance footage that captured the shooting. They said the shooter is shown on the video wearing the same clothes as Machou. A woman also witnessed the shooting and identified Machou as the shooter, according to court records.
While he was detained, police said Machou said something to the effect of: “He tried to shoot me, so I took his gun.” During a later interview, officers said Machou admitted to shooting the man, according to court records.
Investigators said Machou also made inconsistent statements about a fight over a firearm, but officers said the video of the shooting does not show a struggle over a gun, court records state.
