Calm in Yakima as Gang Violence Remains Low into 2026

Five months into 2026 and so far no major gang related crime reported in the city of Yakima.
Over the past 6 to 12 months, the Yakima Police Department has seen a notable decline in local gang activity. Similar to all of 2025 when gang activity and major gang shootings were rare.

SCHOOL IS ALMOST OUT FOR SUMMER

Police acknowledge the drop and they say there is no single explanation beyond ongoing law enforcement efforts. But authorities remind everyone things could change overnight. Police say when it’s cold and kids are occupied in school there’s less time for gang clashes but that calm can change in an instant when the weather changes and kids get out of school for the summer.

READ MORE: YAKIMA HEALTH DISTRICT PFAS RECOMMENDATIONS

 THE CLASHES THAT DID HAPPEN WERE DEADLY

While gang clashes have been rare several of the gang related shootings grabbed headlines last year:
In December of last year a 16-year-old was shot and killed in a gang related clash near 20th and Englewood. Before that it was in May of 2025 when police say a local Norteños Gang member shot dead another man at Yakima’s Chesterly Skate Park in the middle of a sunny May day.

A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY NEAR SAFEWAY ON NOB HILL

Perhaps the most significant gang shooting over the last 5 years was a tragic shooting in November of 2024 that resulted in the deaths of 18-year-old Emmanuel Santos and 20-year-old Aaron Lamas.
The two were killed in what authorities described as a drug deal gone wrong at a Safeway parking lot on Nob Hill Blvd. Two suspects were arrested and charged with murder.

TWO BROTHERS KILLED IN SUNNYSIDE AS THE CASE REMAINS UNSOLVED

Earlier, in February 2024, Sunnyside Police investigated the murder of two young brothers in Sunnyside, identified as 13-year-old Isaac Hernandez and 17-year-old Maurice Hernandez. The brothers were shot dead in their vehicle on East Edison Avenue while their mother was inside a nearby store. Authorities suspect gang involvement and continue to seek the shooter or shooters responsible for the incident.
With summer around the corner police say gang activity could increase at anytime. So far however it’s been a quiet police hope to keep it that way in 2026.