Federal Way man stands trial for 2021 murder at Kent bus stop

Two years after Antonio Wells was shot and killed at a bus stop on Nov. 26, 2021, a Federal Way suspect is now standing trial for the homicide that happened at the exact location where two of Wells’s sons were shot two days prior.

Corniche Washington has been charged with first-degree murder and second-degree taking a vehicle without permission. On Sept. 9, the state and Washington’s defense presented opening statements on day one of his trial.

The killing occurred on the west side of Pacific Highway at a bus stop just south of the Kent Des Moines Road intersection in Kent.

King County Prosecutor Jacqueline Lawrence alleges that Washington shot Wells in the back and then shot him multiple times while he was on the ground, unlawfully killing him.

Lawrence said there was evidence that Washington had been at the scene, such as a hat and jacket with his DNA on it, and bullets at his Federal Way apartment that were the same kind found at the scene of the killing.

“Wells was ultimately shot while he was walking away. While Mr. Wells fell to the ground on that roadway in front of that bus stop, that man continued to advance upon him, continued to fire his weapon, shooting him as Mr. Wells was on the ground,” Lawrence said. “That man walked past the body of Mr. Antonio Wells Sr. as he lay dying on the street to take Mr. Wells’s black Cadillac Escalade and flee the area.”

She described how the events began when Wells approached Washington at the bus stop. Lawrence said that Wells and Washington knew each other and initially were cordial, but then a conflict arose, and Wells decided to leave the situation before conflict arose again.

An eyewitnesses saw Washington make some sort of comment, which prompted Wells to turn back around, to walk up to Washington and punch him one time in the face, Lawrence said. Lawrence said that Washington shot Wells, causing him to fall, and eyewitnesses would testify that Washington kept moving forward and continued firing.

Lawrence said Wells was shot in the back of the leg, in the back, and the chest, and his wounds were so dire that no medical intervention could have saved him. Lawrence said Washington fled to the Mariposa apartment complex in Federal Way, where he spent some time before fleeing to Phoenix until he was arrested on Jan. 12, 2022.

Lawrence said the bullet casings found at the scene of Wells’s kids two days prior were found to be shot from the same gun that had shot Wells. She said that the jurors would come to learn that Wells had multiple sides to him being that he was a “74 Hoover” gang member, and went by the street name “Bone.” She said she will ask that the jury find Washington guilty because evidence shows that Wells’s death was a murder in the first degree.

The defense, headed by Emily Gause and Mariko Lisa Mulligan, said that the shooting of Wells was self-defense after Wells punched Washington and threatened him.

Gause, who delivered the opening statements, made no dispute that Washington had been at the scene, and they said Washington took responsibility for the shooting of Wells’s two sons two days prior despite not being charged. Gause said that the Nov. 24 shooting of Wells’s sons was done in self-defense after Wells’s sons and another boy approached Washington, attempting to rob him at gunpoint before Washington fled as he got shot at and then shot back at the three boys, hitting all three, but not killing any.

Gause said Washington returned to the scene two days later to try and find out why three boys attempted to rob him, and if they were still a threat. Gause said that someone at the scene told Washington that the boys he shot were Wells’s kids and that Wells was actively looking for Washington.

Gause said Wells arrived at the scene, and as Wells got closer to Washington, he could tell that he was high on methamphetamine. She said Washington had seen him smoke it before, how his demeanor changed, and how his jaw would shake. She said that when Wells was high, he was aggressive and reckless.

“He accused Corniche of shooting his kids. Corniche denied being there. He said, ‘It wasn’t me. I don’t know why people were saying it’s me.’ Bone responded by saying, ‘If you don’t clear your name, you aren’t going to make it off this block.’ And as Bone said this, he was backing up as if he was about to pull out a gun and shoot right then,” Gause said. “So Corniche followed him, and as he did so, he was telling Bone to ‘Calm down, calm down. I didn’t shoot anybody.’ Corniche just repeated this in the hopes that Bone would actually believe him.”

Gause said following this, Wells announced, “The Hoovers are going to be out tonight,” and then told Washington that he would come after his family. She said Corniche admitted to shooting Wells’s kids, and then Wells told him he had something for him after punching him and then retreated back to his vehicle. Gause said Washington had only seconds to save his life because he knew Wells would shoot him, so he shot at Wells’s legs to stop him, which put him on the ground.

“He continued to tell Corniche that he was going to kill him and his family. He continued to yell threats, and as he did this, he was reaching around in his waistband. Corniche immediately thought Bone must have a gun on him,” Gause said. “So Corniche reacted. My life or his. So he shot again. He was terrified. He couldn’t wait to see if Bone would shoot him. He had to act as quickly as he could. So he fired again, and Bone stopped reaching for the gun.”