A 30-year-old man who shot and killed a 34-year-old man last year during an argument outside a Spokane Valley apartment complex was sentenced Friday to more than 11 years in prison.

“A gun gets into the mix and it always ends up in disaster,” Spokane County Superior Court Judge Maryann Moreno said.

A man told a Spokane County Sheriff’s Office detective that, on Feb. 6, he drove his daughter and Shayne Galloway to the Village Square Apartments, 9310 E. Montgomery Ave., to get his daughter’s stolen Suburban back from Joseph Quinn, according to court documents.

Witnesses told police that Quinn had assaulted the woman, who is his ex-girlfriend, and stole her car.

Galloway sent messages to multiple people that the ex-girlfriend was his best friend and that he was going to do something about Quinn hurting her, according to court documents.

Galloway stayed with the woman for a few days in hopes of protecting her, his text messages indicate.

“I really wanna see you, especially since I may very well be catching a life sentence or a body bag in the real near future,” Galloway wrote the morning before the shooting.

The man told the detective he dropped Galloway off at a shopping center parking lot and Galloway walked to the complex from there.

Then, witnesses reported yelling and arguing at the complex before gunshots were heard, documents said. Deputies found Quinn breathing near the courtyard pool, but he died soon afterward.

Galloway told a detective he exchanged words with Quinn in the courtyard and believed Quinn was pulling out a weapon, so Galloway pulled a pistol from his waistband and fired two or three rounds at Quinn. Galloway said he threw the pistol into the Spokane River.

On April 22, authorities arrested Galloway at the Days Inn and Suites in Airway Heights.

Investigators indicated they believe a woman, who knew Galloway, had lured Quinn to the apartment complex where he was shot.

On Friday, Galloway looked over to Quinn’s family, who sat in a row in the courtroom gallery, and apologized.

Galloway’s attorney, Katelin Sadler, read a statement on behalf of Galloway, who wore red Spokane County Jail inmate clothes.

“I understand that Joe is not the only victim here,” Sadler read.

Quinn’s sister, Katie Northway, told Moreno her brother had strawberry-blond hair and bright blue eyes that twinkled when he smiled. She described him as caring, goofy and the “life of the party.”

“He did not get a chance to live a full life,” Northway said.

Galloway pleaded guilty Friday to second-degree manslaughter and unlawful possession of a firearm. He also pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver methamphetamine and unlawful firearm possession from an incident July 3, 2021.

Moreno sentenced Galloway to 111/3 years in prison for all four charges.

Something needs to be done to hinder gun violence, Moreno said.

“I don’t have the answer for it, but something has to be done,” she said.