Man Pointed a Gun and Pulled the Trigger at Group in Kennewick Parking Lot Last Night

A fight between two women in a West Kennewick Avenue parking lot escalated into something far more serious last night when a man showed up, pulled out a handgun, pointed it at a man in the group, and pulled the trigger.

Luckily, the firearm did not discharge.

Kennewick Police officers arrived just after the attempted shooting, with 34-year-old Lee Mintz arrested and now in the Benton County Jail facing Assault in the First Degree charges.

The only reason nobody was shot last night was a malfunction or misfire. Not intervention. Not a change of heart. According to police, the gun just did not go off.

Alleged Fight Between Two Women Sparked the Attempted Shooting

Officers responded to a fight in the 3200 block of West Kennewick Avenue, but before they arrived, the caller updated dispatch that someone in the fight had a gun.

Investigators pieced together from victim statements and area video surveillance that two women got into a physical altercation in the parking lot.

One of them, police identified as Dwanna Mims, left the scene and returned shortly after with her boyfriend, Lee Mintz.

Mintz allegedly walked towards the group, pulled a handgun from his pocket, pointed it directly at a man, and pulled the trigger.

Officers arrived as Mintz was lowering the weapon; then Mintz and Mims ran to a nearby vehicle and concealed the handgun inside before officers made contact.

A search warrant was obtained for the vehicle, and the handgun was recovered and collected as evidence.

The Charges and the Prior Record

Mintz is a convicted felon, meaning he was prohibited from possessing a firearm under both state and federal law before this incident ever happened.

He was arrested for Assault in the First Degree and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.

Mims was arrested for Assault in the Fourth Degree, Domestic Violence, and Rendering Criminal Assistance for helping conceal the weapon.

Both were booked into the Benton County Jail.

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