WSU football player shot at party, suspect identified as UW student

quote:

---

PULLMAN — Washington State University redshirt freshman offensive lineman Sone Falealo was shot after the Apple Cup early Sunday morning by a University of Washington student, according to court documents.

Pullman Police have identified the suspect in the shooting as 20-year-old Jakori Buchanan. Court documents indicate he is a UW student living in Tukwila. Police secured an arrest warrant for Buchanan on Monday afternoon and intend to charge him with first and fourth-degree assault.

Falealo was at a party at the Aspen Heights Apartments 3125 block of NW Cottonwood Lane with his two friends, Jaylin K. “JC” Caldwell and Xavier Thorpe, both also offensive linemen at WSU. The three were asked to be there to act as security for the party, according to court records.

Buchanan allegedly assaulted a girl during a party at the apartment, according to court records. She told police Buchanan had tried to punch her in the face, but missed and struck her in the chest. Buchanan tried to punch her again, court records say, so she punched him back. That’s when Falealo, Caldwell and Thorpe attempted to intervene, according to the documents.

Falealo confronted Buchanan and that’s when he was shot. He “didn’t remember much after that,” court records say. He is expected to make a full recovery.

Thorpe told officers he called police after he saw the suspect and his friends get into a dark sedan and drive away. Pullman Police have identified Buchanan’s car as a gray 2025 Hyundai Sonata with Minnesota plate REW514.

Buchanan had not been arrested as of Monday afternoon. The car he was driving was a rental and located at SeaTac.

---