Klamath Falls, Ore. – There’s now been three homicides over the past week in Klamath County.
NBC2’s Lyle Ahrens spoke with residents of a downtown neighborhood where a fatal shooting took place early New Year’s Day.
Greg Smith was watching New Year’s Eve coverage on TV. “Right after they said, ‘Happy New Year’, I just stuck my head out the front door here to say ‘Happy New Year’, and I heard a ‘bam, bam, bam.'”
Just two doors up the street, Tyler Balais had been shot.
Smith didn’t know until later. “I thought it was along with all the other fireworks and stuff – and then shortly after that, the police all showed up.”
Police say Tyler’s girlfriend Kassandra Imbert pulled the trigger.
She’s charged with manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide.
The shooting has neighbor Gabriel Martinez on edge. “It is a little concerning, being so close to home. But all we can do is arm ourselves, and prepare ourselves.”
Greg Smith says while he feels safe ‘99.9% of the time’, he’s still taking steps. “I make sure everything’s locked up every time I leave, and make sure my car is locked up. There’s only so much you can do.”
Sunday’s shooting was the third recent homicide in Klamath County.
A man is charged with murdering his brother on the day after Christmas near Bonanza.
On Saturday, a Keno woman was stabbed to death.
Her grandson is accused of killing her.
In a separate incident on December 31, an elderly woman was killed and a young relative is in custody following an early morning stabbing in Klamath County.
In another case, 22-year-old Kassandra Imbert was charged with killing her boyfriend early New Year’s Day.
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