Court documents shed some light on Franklin Park shooting that left 1 dead, 3 injured

Eight people were shot at two Spokane parks last week, and it’s unclear if suspects in either shooting have been identified.

One person died and three were critically injured Tuesday at Franklin Park near the NorthTown Mall, police said. The Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office said the decedent was a 22-year-old man who the office has not identified.

Two days prior to the Franklin Park shooting, three teenagers and a 40-year-old man were shot early in the morning at Dutch Jake’s Park in West Central, according to police. None of the injuries was believed to be life-threatening. Initial information indicated a large group of people were in the park at the time of the shooting, police said.

Spokane police spokeswoman Julie Humphreys said she was unable to provide an update Friday on potential suspects or injuries to the victims.

Spokane police Lt. Terry Preuninger said last week there was no indication the Dutch Jake’s Park shooting was related to the Franklin Park shooting.

Court documents filed Friday in Spokane County Superior Court shed some light on the Franklin Park shooting.

Spokane police officers arrived around 3:20 a.m. at the north Spokane park, which is along Division Street and northwest of the NorthTown Mall, for a report that at least two people were shot, according to documents.

Police encountered a large group of people and located two gunshot victims on Queen Avenue, which is across the street and to the south of Franklin Park, court records said. One of the victims was dead. The other victim was taken to a hospital by ambulance, Preuninger said.

Police said last week the shooting stemmed from a dispute.

An officer saw a white 2010 Ford Fusion parked in the parking lot along the south side of the park, according to documents. The officer said the rear passenger side door was open and there were bright red stains that appeared to be blood on the inside door panel.

Glass was on the pavement near the driver’s side door of the car and liquid was on the same side of the vehicle, indicating a bottle might have been thrown at it, court records said.

Another officer said i they found a blood trail from the Ford to where the dead person was located. The officer spoke with several males at the scene who stated their brother was the dead victim. The males would not provide their names nor the name of the deceased.

Several vehicles reportedly fled the park, documents said. One caller advised the shooter was in a “beat-up red sedan.”

About 20 minutes after the reported shooting, an officer who was driving south on Browne Street toward Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center saw a red Dodge Intrepid speed by his patrol vehicle, court records said. The driver was consistently honking his horn and the car’s hazard lights were activated.

The officer followed the Dodge to MultiCare Deaconess Hospital, according to documents. The driver got out of the car and started screaming for help, saying there were two males in the car who had been shot at the park.

Documents said the Dodge and the Ford were seized as evidence.

At the park, a police corporal tried clearing out numerous intoxicated people in the crime scene area following the shooting, documents said. After cordoning the area with crime scene tape, the allegedly intoxicated people stayed in the area and yelled racial slurs and obscenities at officers. The individuals knew the person who died but would not provide their names or the name of the deceased, according to documents.

Both shootings are under investigation.