Another teen sentenced in deadly Franklin Park shooting

Nov. 24—A 19-year-old man connected to the killing of 22-year-old Ablos Kios last summer at Franklin Park was sentenced this week to eight years in prison.

Malachi Cook pleaded guilty Monday to second-degree manslaughter and conspiracy to commit first-degree assault before Spokane County Superior Court Judge Harold Clarke III handed down the sentence.

The Aug. 27, 2022, shooting at the north Spokane park also left three injured.

Cook, Landen Galbreath and Nigel Neal, all 19, were initially charged with second-degree murder and three counts of first-degree assault. Tayona C. Allen, 19, was charged with rendering criminal assistance.

Neal pleaded guilty last month to conspiracy to commit first-degree assault and rendering criminal assistance. He is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 8.

Galbreath is set for a plea and sentencing Monday, while Allen is scheduled to go to trial Jan. 8.

Two groups had been drinking in the north Spokane park when officers responded to the shooting at about 3:15 a.m., according to court documents. A man from one group got into a car with a drunken 14-year-old from the other group and was seen kissing and inappropriately touching the girl, investigators wrote in documents.

This caused a fight between the two groups, and not long after, a group of at least three people returned to the park wearing ski masks, one in a ballistic vest, and began shooting.

Officers located one person who had been shot in the back and one dead person, identified later as Kios, according to court documents. Two additional gunshot victims were taken to a hospital by a private vehicle.

A witness told police he saw a BMW arrive at the park and the occupants of the car were wearing ski masks.

The witness said one group rushed the BMW and argued with Galbreath, a passenger in the car and the driver. Galbreath and someone from the other group got into a scuffle, and the person swung at Galbreath. The witness said Galbreath dodged the punch and then discharged a firearm at point-blank range, striking Kios.

The witness said they heard additional gunshots and saw people in the parking lot area firing as well. Flashes, appearing to be from firearms, came from the BMW, the witness said.

The witness said the occupants of the BMW got back into the car and drove away.

Another witness told police the defendants met at Neal's house the night after the shooting. At one point during the meeting, Galbreath asked Neal whether he got rid of the guns and Neal said he did, the witness said.

Cook, who has no prior felonies, will spend 18 months in community custody when he is released from prison.