15-year-old boy has been charged with five counts of aggravated murder after allegedly killing his parents and three siblings in a tragic shooting at their home in eastern Seattle.
The victims, identified by the King County Medical Examiner’s Office as Mark Humiston, 43, his wife Sarah Humiston, 42, and their children Katheryn, 7, Joshua, 9, and Benjamin, 13, were all found dead at the scene.
According to an affidavit of probable cause filed by King County Sheriff’s Detective Aaron Thompson, the family’s 11-year-old daughter survived the massacre by playing dead and later fled to a neighbour’s house for help.
The boy, whose name remains undisclosed due to his age, allegedly tried to shift the blame onto his younger brother, but investigators have charged him with the killings.
Sky News reports that the 11-year-old sister informed investigators that the suspect had recently faced trouble for failing school exams.
She also claimed that the handgun he allegedly used belonged to their father.
The unnamed girl noted that he was the only child who knew the code to the lockbox where the weapon was stored.
According to the affidavit, the police received a 911 call from the suspect around 5am on Monday.
He alleged that his 13-year-old brother had shot and killed their family in Fall City due to getting into trouble for viewing explicit content online.
Shortly after, a neighbor also called 911, sharing the younger sister’s account of the events.
Police arrived at the scene, arresting the 15-year-old suspect in the driveway before discovering the bodies inside the home. The 11-year-old sister was treated at a hospital and later released.
The defendant waived his right to a court appearance on Tuesday, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, but his legal team emphasized that he had no prior criminal history.
He is scheduled to appear in court on Friday afternoon.
Mark Humiston, who was among the victims, worked as an electrical engineer with Hargis Engineers.
In a statement, the company expressed shock and sorrow over the tragedy, mourning the loss of “a respected colleague, mentor, and friend, as well as the loss of immediate family members.
“They noted that “Mark’s leadership and vision were integral within our firm, and he will be greatly missed.”