SALEM, Ore. — September 5, 2025 — On Friday, Nathaniel McCrae Jr. admitted in Marion County juvenile court to Murder in the Second Degree for the March 7, 2024, Bush Park shooting death of 16-year-old Josue Vasquez-Valenzuela.
McCrae, who was 16 at the time of the shooting, also pled guilty in adult court to Unlawful Use of a Weapon with a Firearm. The shooting occurred when two groups confronted each other at Bush Park. McCrae drew a gun and opened fire, killing Vasquez-Valenzuela and injuring two other minors.
Under a stipulated agreement, McCrae was sentenced to the custody of the Oregon Youth Authority until his 25th birthday, along with a concurrent 60-month sentence in the Department of Corrections.
District Attorney Paige Clarkson criticized Oregon’s current juvenile justice laws, saying they fail victims and public safety. Vasquez-Valenzuela’s family expressed dismay that McCrae could be released in as little as eight years.
