Cass Tech alum injured in shooting near Washington State campus

Pullman, Wash. — Police say a man has been arrested in connection with a shooting that killed one person and injured another near the Washington State University campus early Saturday morning.

The deceased was identified as Liban A. Barre from Kent, Washington.

WSU football player Brandon C. Gray was listed in serious but stable condition.

Gray, a three-star recruit out of Cass Tech, is a wide receiver for Cougars.

Gray played his senior year at Cass Tech after playing his sophomore year at Southfield and junior season at Southfield A&T. In 2017, he was ranked No. 25 on the Blue Chip list. 

During his sophomore year at Washington State in 2020, he did not appear in a game. As a redshirt freshman in 2019, he played in three games and caught two passes for 13 yards.

The Pullman Police Department said officers were called around 12:30 a.m. for a report of a loud party with possibly 200 people in attendance. As police officers approached the party, they heard several gunshots and then found two men with multiple gunshot wounds nearby.

The officers attempted life-saving measures on both men, but Barre died at a nearby hospital. Gray was transported by air ambulance to a Spokane hospital with life-threatening injuries.

“I know the Pullman community is hurting from the incident last night. One of our teammates was involved in that, Brandon Gray, and our thoughts and prayers are with him,” WSU football coach Nick Rolovich said after the team lost to Utah Saturday afternoon.

The police department said a 23-year-old Pullman man was arrested several hours later on suspicion of assault in connection with the shooting. The investigation is still underway.

“We believe that there’s a connection with these individuals,” said Jake Opgenorth, acting chief commander of the Pullman Police Department.

Associated Press contributed.