KING COUNTY, Wash. — A 32-year-old man has been charged in the fatal shooting of a 39-year-old man at a Kent bus stop last year.
The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has charged 32-year-old Corniche Lante Washington for the murder of Antonio Wells, whose sons were shot in the same location two days earlier, according to court records.
Police said Wells confronted Washington about the shooting that occurred earlier, which injured his sons.
When officers arrived at the scene on Nov. 26, 2021, they found Wells unresponsive and lying in the southbound lanes of Pacific Highway South.
Lifesaving measures were performed, but Wells was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to court documents, six 9-millimeter casings were found near Wells’ body along with a fired bullet and multiple bullet fragments. Four federal casings were also found in a grassy area, which indicated to detectives that there were two shooters.
A witness told investigators he saw Wells make a U-turn over the median into the southbound lanes, get out and confront a man, whom he referred to as the “shooter” and a woman, court documents state.
Wells then got in the man’s face several times and walked away, the witness told investigators. The man, later identified as Washington, then said something to Wells who approached him again.
The witness believed Wells punched the suspect several times, records state.
According to court records, Wells then returned to his SUV and was shot twice by Washington.
The witness said the shooter began to walk away but turned around and walked up to Wells, who was on the ground, and fired three additional shots, court documents state.
Court records also state that the witness saw the shooter get into Wells’ SUV and then heard four to five more gunshots. The witness initially thought the shooter might have been shooting at someone else in the SUV but he said the vehicle appeared to be empty while parked at the bus stop. The witness then said the shooter fled in Wells’ vehicle.
A second witness told police he saw a black Escalade stop in the road at the bus stop. He then said he saw the victim, later identified as Wells, punch the shooter who fell on the ground. The suspect then pulled out a gun and shot the victim twice as he tried to run away, according to court documents. The witness said that while Wells was on the ground, the suspect stood over him and fired more shots.
Court records state that “The witness described it as an execution.” The witness said before the suspect got into the Escalade, he saw someone fire a shot from the back seat and then the SUV drove off.
Washington was found and arrested a few days after the shooting because someone called in an anonymous tip to Crimestoppers.
Washington is being charged with first-degree murder and taking a motor vehicle without permission.