SPOKANE, Wash. — The five suspects believed to be involved in a deadly shooting at Franklin Park appeared in court on Friday. According to court documents, the shooting may have been retaliation for a sexual assault that allegedly happened to a young girl at the park on the night of the incident.
The shooting happened on Aug. 27, but the five people allegedly involved were arrested on Thursday. One person was killed and three others were injured in the shooting.
18-year-old Nigel Neal, 18-year-old Landen Galbreath and 18-year-old Malachi Cook all appeared in court Friday for second-degree murder and three counts of first-degree assault. The judge kept each of their bonds at $1 million.
A fourth suspect also appeared in court Friday for rendering criminal assistance in connection to the case.
Investigators said two separate groups of people were drinking alcohol at Franklin Park on the night of the shooting. Multiple witnesses saw a man inappropriately touching a young girl he did not come to the park with. According to court documents, witnesses said the girl was incapacitated due to drinking too much alcohol. The alleged sexual assault led to a dispute between the two groups.
Spokane police are not investigating a sexual assault related to this case because investigators were unable to determine if the accusations were credible. Additionally, the allegations have not been linked to the victim who died that night, according to police.
After the alleged sexual assault happened, a car arrived at the park. Court documents said all three passengers were seen wearing ski masks. The people in the car and other people in their group started shooting at the other group who was at the park.
The man who died as a result of the shooting was identified as 22-year-old Ablos Kios.
Kios' family member, Lial Amram, is heartbroken over his loss.
"He was a good person, he had a good heart and a long life to live," Amram said. "But he was too young. And all these rumors that we're hearing, say he was in a gang, he might have caught up in this and that. I just want to put it out there. He was never in that."
Witnesses helped Spokane police identify the shooting suspects, which led to their arrests. DNA from one of the ski masks collected at the scene matched one of the suspects.
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