Court documents acquired by CBS News reveal that a 15-year-old boy was arrested on Thursday for the murder of his parents and three siblings, who were shot and killed in their residence in Fall City, Washington.
A teenager, whose identity is kept confidential due to his age, faces five charges of aggravated murder in connection with the deaths of his parents, Mark and Sarah Humiston, as well as his two brothers aged 9 and 13, and his 7-year-old sister, according to court documents from King County.
According to the documents, he faced a charge of attempted murder for shooting and injuring his 11-year-old sister.
According to hospital spokesperson Susan Gregg, the girl was reported to be in satisfactory condition at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, as stated to the Associated Press on Tuesday.
According to the findings of the King County Medical Examiner’s Office, all five individuals succumbed to injuries from gunfire. Court documents indicate that the firearm involved in the incident is thought to have been owned by the father of one of the victims.
As stated in the charging documents, shortly before 5 a.m. on Monday, the accused dialed 911 and fabricated a tale, asserting that his 13-year-old sibling had just shot my entire family and also killed himself at their residence in Fall City, a neighborhood near Seattle.
Around the same time as that initial call, 911 operators got another report from a neighbor residing roughly a quarter-mile away. According to the documents, this neighbor stated that the suspect’s 11-year-old sister had fled to his home, bleeding from what seemed to be a gunshot injury.
The young girl reported that her whole family had been tragically killed and pointed out that her 15-year-old brother was the one who pulled the trigger. She informed the emergency operators that her brother had also shot her, and she recounted how she held her breath to pretend to be dead, according to the records. Later, she revealed to investigators that she managed to flee through a window in a bedroom.
According to court documents, deputies arrived at the Humiston residence and apprehended the suspect in the driveway. Inside the house, they discovered the bodies of five victims.
During a police interview at the hospital later that same day, the suspect’s sister, who survived, reportedly recognized the weapon involved in the shooting as her father’s silver Glock handgun, according to court records.
According to the documents, she mentioned that her father stored the pistol in a compact lockbox, which he occasionally placed near the front door for easy access when heading to work. She informed the detectives that only the suspect was aware of the combination to the Glock lockbox.
According to the documents, authorities concluded that the individual methodically killed his parents and siblings before arranging the scene to suggest that his 11-year-old brother was responsible for the crimes, all before first responders arrived.
The legal filings did not provide any conjecture regarding a motive.
The individual accused of the crime is set to face arraignment on Friday afternoon. According to a news announcement from the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office on Thursday, the suspect is currently being held at the Clark Child and Family Justice Center, a facility designed for juveniles.
The teenager is facing charges as a minor, and according to prosecutors, it will be up to a judge to decide if his case will be transferred to adult court. Nevertheless, prosecutors pointed out that even if the case is shifted to adult court, it doesn’t automatically imply that the individual will be prosecuted as an adult. This is due to Washington state law, which stipulates distinct sentencing guidelines for juveniles, regardless of whether they are tried in an adult setting.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the defense attorneys for the accused stated, Our client is a 15-year-old youth who loves mountain biking and fishing, and he has no prior criminal record.