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On October 21, 2024, five members of the Humiston family were shot dead in their home in Fall City, Washington.[1] An 11-year-old girl who is a member of the family was shot and injured as well.[2]
| Humiston family murders | |
|---|---|
| Part of Mass shootings in the United States | |
| Date | October 21, 2024 |
| Weapons | Gun |
| Deaths | 5 |
| Injured | 1 |
| Accused | 15 year old boy who is a member of the family |
Background
editThe accused in the killings is an unnamed[3] 15-year-old boy who is also a member of the family. Authorities say the accused attempted to frame the killings as being perpetrated by one of his brothers whom he is suspected of killing in the shooting.[4][5]
Murders
editThe murders took place during the early morning of October 21, 2024 near Fall City in King County, Washington.[6] Several 911 calls were made at around 5 am reporting a shooting at a home in the 7700 block of Lake Alice Road Southeast in Fall City.[7] Law enforcement found two adults and three children dead at the scene. The victims were later identified as 43-year-old Mark Humiston, 42-year-old Sarah Humiston, 13-year-old Benjamin Humiston, 9-year-old Joshua Humiston, and 7-year-old Katheryn Humiston. According to the King County Medical Examiner's Office, all five had died due to gunshot wounds.[7]
The King County Sheriff's Office immediately took a 15-year-old suspect into custody. A sixth victim, an 11-year-old girl, was injured during the shooting and taken to a hospital. All of the victims and the accused lived in the same house.[8]
According to court documents, the accused called 911 and stated that he was hiding in the bathroom after his brother Benjamin had killed the rest of the family and then killed himself. However, medical examiners determined that Benjamin had been shot from at least 2 feet (0.61 m) away.[9] The murder weapon was a Glock handgun belonging to the father of the family.[9]
The girl who survived the attack was shot in the hand and neck, but managed to escape to a neighbor's house after playing dead. She identified the shooter as her oldest brother.[10] According to the girl, her brother had been in trouble recently due to his performance at school and also that he was the only child who knew the combination to the gun safe where their father's handgun was stored.[10]
Aftermath
editOn October 22, the accused had his first court appearance, however he chose not to attend and was instead represented by defense attorneys.[6] A judge ordered the accused to remain in custody and to have no contact with the surviving victim. The judge also ordered the media not to release the name of the accused.[7]
The accused was later charged with five counts of first-degree aggravated murder and one count of first-degree attempted murder.[6]
The accused appeared in court for the first time on October 25, 2024.[9] Prosecutor's requested to have a discretionary decline hearing, in which they would argue that the juvenile court should decline jurisdiction so that the case can be tried in adult court.[6][9] The judge ordered the hearing to take place on June 4, 2025.[9]
If the case is transferred to adult court, the accused faces a sentence of 25 years to life if convicted. If the case remains in juvenile court, the accused could only be held in confinement until age 25, at which point he would be released.[11]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Five family members shot to death in home outside Seattle | Seattle | The Guardian". amp.theguardian.com. Retrieved 2024-10-26.
- ^ Cann, Christopher. "Washington teen accused of killing his family, surviving sister tells how she escaped". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2024-10-26.
- ^ Staff, KIRO 7 News (2024-10-24). "Victims identified in Fall City homicides". KIRO 7 News Seattle. Retrieved 2024-10-26.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Tanyos, Faris (2024-10-25). "Teen charged in shooting deaths of 5 family members tried to blame his brother, court documents say - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2024-10-26.
- ^ Ebrahimji, Alisha (2024-10-25). "Fall City, Washington shooting: 15-year-old suspect faces five counts of first-degree murder". CNN. Retrieved 2024-10-26.
- ^ a b c d Gorenflo, Grace (October 24, 2024). "Teen charged in Fall City mass shooting". Snoqualmie Valley Record. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Victims identified in Fall City homicides". KIRO 7 News. October 24, 2024. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
- ^ "5 dead in shooting in home near Seattle and teen in custody, authorities say". CBS News. October 23, 2024. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Girgis, Lauren (October 25, 2024). "Teen accused of slaying family near Fall City appears in court". The Seattle Times. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
- ^ a b Ebrahimji, Alisha (October 25, 2024). "An 11-year-old girl played dead before escaping after 5 family members were killed at their Washington state home". CNN. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
- ^ "Fall City murders teen suspect not arraigned Friday as prosecutors request move to adult court". KIRO 7 News. October 25, 2024. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
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