A 13-year-old boy went to sleep at his father’s Oregon apartment planning to go snowboarding early in the morning. Instead, he died after stray bullets struck him in his sleep. Liam Spahnle-Bailey, born William Spanhle III, was staying with his dad at the Eleven Pines Apartments in Gresham when gunfire from a neighboring apartment sent bullets through his bedroom wall while he was asleep, striking him. The shooting occurred around 1:30 a.m. April 27, 2025. Investigators are still trying to find the person responsible.
William Spanhle told KOIN he was in a “sleepy state” when he heard gunfire. He rushed to Liam’s side and realized his young son had been hit. Emergency responders arrived on the scene a short time later. Spanhle told KOIN he called Liam’s mom and brother to meet him at the hospital.
Per a statement from the Gresham Police Department, police, firefighters, and paramedics arrived at the apartment and attempted life-saving measures before taking Liam to an area hospital. Sadly, officials pronounced him dead a short time after his arrival.
Liam’s brother, Gordon Mott-Bailey, told KOIN that he and Liam shared a room and that they adored each other. Liam loved skateboarding, snowboarding, and having fun with friends. “He worked really hard at what he loved and he never gave up. That’s one thing I love about him. He never gave up,” Gordon recalled.
The big brother looked forward to watching Liam grow up and seeing how tall he’d be. Now, he has only memories.
“You took my little baby brother from me. My little brother, my best friend. You took his son. You took my mom’s son. And it’s not fair,” Gordon said. “If we don’t get justice for him, it’s not fair. So they have to, they have to face what they’ve done and suffer. Suffer through it, like us.”
Gresham police reported another person at the scene suffered a gunshot wound as well and received treatment at an area hospital. That person is expected to survive. The East County Major Crimes Team will head the investigation. Police are determined to find the person responsible for Liam’s death.
“Today our entire community is mourning the killing of an innocent child. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, classmates, and neighbors. This shooting is a tragic reminder of how the impact of gun violence reaches far beyond the shooters and their intended victims,” Police Chief Travis Gullberg shared in the department’s statement on Facebook. “Our officers, detectives, and law enforcement partners will hold accountable everyone responsible for this child’s death. The City of Gresham, the Ceasefire program, and our community partners will continue working to break the cycle of violence.”
Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez agreed with Gullberg’s sentiment.
“This [is] an example of horrific violence in our community. It breaks my heart to see the loss of such a young life,” he noted in the police department’s Facebook statement. “Any time a child is lost in our community it’s devastating. But when it occurs in such a senseless, violent manner it’s absolutely infuriating. We’ll do everything we can to get to the bottom of this and hold those who are responsible accountable for their actions.”
Melissa Barnes created a GoFundMe account for Liam’s family. “At only 13 years old, Liam has touched many people’s lives. His family remembers him as loving, funny, genuine, a great friend and son,” she wrote on the page. It has raised $14,000 of an $18,000 goal thus far.
The investigation into Liam’s death continues. Anyone with information should contact Detective Lindsay Friderich at [email protected] or Detective Martin Daly at [email protected].
