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Northeast Salem shooting suspect released on bail; new details emerge in police affidavit

A Salem man who was arrested Sept. 22 and accused of shooting at a van with three young children inside told police he did not intend to shoot anyone and was firing rounds into the air.

Ivanovich Garcia-Sanchez, 39, was released from the Marion County Jail Thursday after posting bail, according to a release order and agreement. He was charged Sept. 23 with unlawful weapon use, a felony, and three charges of recklessly endangering another person, a misdemeanor, in Marion County Circuit Court, court documents show.

Around 4:41 p.m., Garcia-Sanchez fired two shots that struck the van, and the bullets nearly struck a child who was sitting in the back left seat, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by Salem Reporter. Police said nobody was injured in the shooting.

The affidavit said the shooting occurred at 3334 Industrial Way N.E. in Salem, the address where Garten Services Recycling and Document Destruction is located, according to its website.

Salem Police Department officers found a 9mm bullet in the door frame “just below the window” and two shell casings in the area of the train tracks where they believed Garcia-Sanchez shot from, the affidavit said.

A witness said they saw a man they knew as “Flacko,” shoot a handgun, and another witness pointed out the homeless camp where the shooter was staying.

Officers found Garcia-Sanchez by the camp and he admitted he was called “Flacko,” the affidavit said.

Garcia-Sanchez “ultimately admitted to shooting his firearm,” the affidavit said. “He told officers he was not shooting at anyone, he was just firing rounds into the air.”

He consented to let officers search a building “where he said the handgun was placed,” the affidavit said. Officers found the handgun with a box of ammunition, both 9mm, “sitting out in the open.”

Garcia-Sanchez told officers he was sorry for shooting the handgun, the affidavit said.

He was released on $5,000 bail and ordered to have no contact with the three victims, not possess or consume alcohol, not enter bars or taverns, and not possess or use firearms, according to the release order and agreement.

Garcia-Sanchez is scheduled to appear in court for a plea hearing on Oct. 5.

-Ardeshir Tabrizian