Erik Michael Klein, a 33-year-old White male, lost his life in a shooting on February 23, 2020, in Spokane Valley, Washington. The incident took place at a residence located at 11313 East Seventh Avenue. Klein was initially transported to a hospital with life-threatening injuries but succumbed to his wounds on February 27, 2020. He was born on August 22, 1986, and had moved to Spokane two years prior to his death.
The man responsible for the shooting was identified as Brian Riley.
On the evening of the incident, Riley went to the home on Seventh Avenue, where the homeowner allowed him to go upstairs where Klein was located. Shortly after, the homeowner heard a gunshot. Going to investigate, he found Klein on the floor. Riley admitted to the homeowner that he had shot Klein and then threatened to take his own life.
The homeowner managed to de-escalate the situation and convinced Riley to leave the house with him. They drove to a nearby gas station, where the homeowner alerted the clerk to call the police before exiting through a back door. When deputies arrived, Riley fled in the vehicle, leading to a high-speed chase. He was apprehended shortly thereafter.
Brian Riley was initially charged with attempted murder, which was expected to be amended following Klein's death. In a 2022 trial, a jury found Riley not guilty of first-degree murder but could not reach a verdict on the charge of second-degree murder; they did find him guilty of attempting to elude police. In September 2023, Riley pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter for the killing of Erik Klein. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison. In addition to the manslaughter charge, Riley also pleaded guilty to three counts of unlawful possession of a firearm due to prior felony convictions.
