A 39-year-old Federal Way man, fatally shot at a Kent bus stop, had gone to that location to confront a man after his two teen sons were shot and injured two days earlier at the same spot.
Antonio Wells died from multiple gunshot wounds in the Nov. 26 incident at the bus stop in the 23200 block of Pacific Highway South near Kent Des Moines Road.
According to Kent Police reports, Wells was the father of two boys, ages 16 and 14, who got into an argument at the bus stop at about 4:47 p.m. on Nov. 24 with unknown suspects which ended in a shootout. Both boys were transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
While detectives were at the hospital to interview the boys, they were informed by hospital staff about a 17-year-old victim from the same shooting who was dropped off after the first two teens arrived. Police have not released any further information about that victim.
At about 3:40 p.m. on Nov. 26, officers were called to the bus stop and found Wells, who died at the scene. Wells had arrived in a vehicle and confronted a Black man in his 30s at the same bus stop where his sons had been shot, according to police. Wells reportedly punched the man who in turn pulled out a firearm and shot Wells.
A third shooting near the same location occurred at about 4:48 p.m. on Nov. 27. Officers were providing a visible police presence in the 23200 block of Pacific Highway South for a vigil held by friends and family of Wells.
While on scene in full uniform, officers heard shots fired within the crowd where one victim was shot in the north parking lot of a former Burger King with numerous subjects and vehicles in the area quickly fleeing, according to police reports.
Officers noted it turned into an extremely chaotic scene. One officer observed muzzle flashes and heard rounds going over his/her head. Officers were then grabbed by witnesses pulling them towards the down victim through the crowd while others were fleeing and running past them, according to police reports.
All the while, officers noted they had no idea who was armed and who had shot at others amidst the chaos. It took several minutes to get the area secure so firefighters and paramedics could enter.
Officers found a male with gunshot wounds to his lower body. He was conscious and talking with officers. Paramedics transported the male to Harborview Medical Center. Police did not release the age of the male
Another victim showed up at Valley Medical Center in Renton with a gunshot wound to the shoulder from the same Nov. 27 incident.
Police have said they have limited suspect information. No arrests have been made in any of the three shootings in four days.
Kent Police were back at the same scene around noon Sunday, Dec. 5, with three police SUVs and a Metro bus at the location. Police public information officers have not responded to several requests from the Kent Reporter for information about that incident.
14th homicide
The killing is the 14th homicide so far this year in Kent. The city had nine homicides in 2020, four in 2019 and seven in 2018.
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