Okanogan County Investigating Sixth Major Incident of 2024
A rural county in North Central Washington is once again reeling. Okanogan County says it is investigating its sixth major incident - and third homicide - of the year.
The following information was gleaned from a press release issued by the Okanogan County Sheriff's Office.
Daniel Simpson was reportedly shot in the back on Tuesday afternoon. The incident took place on North Kirkpatrick Rd. on the outskirts of Omak.
A perimeter was established, a drone launched by several law enforcement agencies working collaboratively: Okanogan County Sheriffs, the Fish & Wildfire Dept. Police, the Washington State Patrol and the Omak Police Department.
Try as they did, the attending medics could not revive Simpson, who was pronounced dead on the scene.
The alleged assailant in this case was a juvenile - he reportedly fled the scene but was later apprehended. Because of his juvenile status, his identity has not been disclosed to the public.
The Omak homicide did not occur in a vacuum. Okanogan County has been felled by violence - sometimes deadly violence - in recent weeks.
On April 30, a Brewster woman was fatally shot in the chest. This took place inside her home on Keran Rd. The alleged assailant was her husband.
On May 18, a lifeless body was unearthed in Twisp. Sharon Gray, 49, was allegedly killed by Jason Rumohr, 50. Gray was then wrapped in a tarp and disposed of near HWY 20.
With the violence threatening to metastasize into a full-blown crisis, Okanogan County is beefing up its law enforcement capabilities.
Effective next week, a newly tapped lateral deputy will be working with the Okanogan County Sheriff's Office. Meanwhile two deputies await graduation from the Basic Law Enforcement Academy. All this according to today's press release.
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