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Seattle teenager killed in Lake Stevens drive-by shooting

LAKE STEVENS, Wash. — A teenager was killed in what authorities believe was a drive-by shooting in Lake Stevens Saturday night.

The victim has been identified as Molly Conley of Seattle.

Lake Stevens police said 911 dispatchers received several calls at 11:18 p.m. about a possible drive-by shooting in the area of South Lake Stevens and South Davies Road.

Officers arrived and found an unresponsive girl in the 10600 block of South Lake Stevens Road.

    >>> KIRO 7 is speaking to police to find out more about the shooting investigation and the possible connection to other Lake Stevens drive-by shootings last weekend. We’ll keep this story updated and will have the latest on our 5 p.m. newscast on Monday.

According to friends, Conley was in Lake Stevens celebrating her 15th birthday.

Conley turned 15 last Friday, but she and her friends were still celebrating Saturday night.

Michel Hazen lives around the corner from where detectives blocked off the street.

“Just as I was kind of drifting off to sleep, I heard a loud, maybe a yell or a scream or something.  But then it wasn't anything definitive,  so I didn't really pay any attention to it until I started hearing sirens,” said Hazen.

Neighbor Randy Chamberlin had to be escorted home because he lives above the shooting scene.

“The sheriff, all he told me when he escorted me was somebody was shot and killed and that it was a random thing – a drive-by,” said Chamberlin.

Conley was a freshman at Bishop Blanchet High School.

The president of the school, Tony Desapio,  told KIRO 7 that Conley was a straight A student, a member of the lacrosse team and involved in drama.

Desapio said he is devastated by the senseless slaying and is working to help Conley's family and his students as they grieve.

Conley has a sister who is a senior as well as a brother who is in the 10th grade at Blanchet.

More than 800 friends and classmates gathered at Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Magnolia Sunday night to pray for Conley and her family. Conley and her family went to church there.
 "It was a deep moment of sharing grief, and longing and missing Molly and a deep moment of trying to make sense of a real tragedy," said Desapio. "Molly was a vibrant, wonderful presences in our community. She was a blessing to us."

Monday morning they will start the day at Blanchet with a prayer service for students and staff. Counselors will be at the school to help the Blanchet community grieve.

While detectives investigate the slaying, they are also looking into numerous other reports of possible drive-by shootings that came into the 911 center throughout the region.

Police said the additional shootings appear to only have resulted in property damage. Investigators said it is not clear if the additional calls are related but detectives are continuing to investigate those calls.

The Lake Stevens Police Department is working in conjunction with the Snohomish County Major Crimes Unit and the Marysville Police Department on the slaying.

Anyone with information related to the crime is asked to call the Lake Stevens Police Tip Line at 425- 377-3214 or the Snohomish County Major Crimes Unit at 425-388-3845.

KIRO

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