Fall City shooting suspect allegedly tried to frame his brother

A 15-year-old boy was arrested Thursday and charged with fatally shooting five members of his family and staging the scene at his Fall City, Washington, home to frame his 13-year-old brother, the This was announced by the King County Prosecutor’s Office.

The 15-year-old, whose name is withheld by HuffPost, is charged in juvenile court with five counts of aggravated murder in the deaths of members of his family, identified by the coroner’s office as siblings Katheryn Humiston, 7 years old; Joshua Humiston, 9; Benjamin Humiston, 13, and his parents Sarah Humiston, 42, and Mark Humiston, 43.

The 15-year-old was also charged with the attempted murder of his 11-year-old sister, who survived the mass shooting by playing dead, according to a probable cause document obtained by HuffPost.

In a statement shared with HuffPost after his hearing on Friday, the 15-year-old’s public defender, Amy Parker, said that despite the horrific accusations, several people in the community reached out and attested to his “good character.” of the adolescent. “

“He has been described by them as kind and caring,” Parker wrote. “This is a child who has many friends, prosocial interests and has contributed positively to his community. “

With tears in her eyes, the 11-year-old girl told detectives she was in the bedroom she shared with Katheryn when they both woke up to the sound of gunshots, according to the document. He went to check what was happening and then saw Joshua and his father lying bloody on the hallway floor.

Katheryn got out of bed and entered the hallway, but was fatally shot, according to the probable cause document. The 15-year-old then entered the bedroom holding his father’s silver Glock, according to the document.

The 11-year-old girl told detectives that her brother shot her once or twice, with a single bullet hitting her hand and neck, according to the document. He said he immediately felt pain.

She then heard someone yelling “stop” and “help” and what she believed was her 15-year-old brother talking on the phone, according to the probable cause document. She told police he was leaning over the three bodies in the hallway to see if they were still alive, then returned to the bedroom to check on him.

“She closed her eyes, held her breath, and pretended to play dead while he stood at her bedside,” a King County Sheriff’s Office detective wrote in the document.

The 15-year-old eventually left the room to talk on the phone, according to the probable cause document. The 11-year-old boy escaped out the window and ran toward a house a quarter of a mile away. While outside, he saw his brother talking on the phone through the front window.

Around 4:55 a.m. that day, the King County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call from the 15-year-old, who said he was hiding in the bathroom and that his brother Benjamin had killed his family and “ “He had escaped.” authorities said.

“He just shot my whole family and also killed himself,” the 15-year-old allegedly told authorities.

The 15-year-old told officers that Benjamin had been caught watching pornography the night before and killed the family because he was afraid of getting in trouble, according to the probable cause statement.

Authorities also received a second 911 call around that time from the home where the 11-year-old girl had run away to, saying she had suffered a gunshot wound and witnessed the murder of her family, according to the probable cause document. . She identified her 15-year-old brother as the shooter and said she was worried he would come, according to the document.

The 15-year-old was taken into custody when officers arrived at the home shortly after the calls and found the rest of the family dead, according to the probable cause document. The mother had been murdered inside a bathroom located in the master bedroom.

Benjamin was found dead with a Glock pistol in his left hand resting on his chest, according to the document. But authorities noted there appeared to be no blood spatter on his hand.

In an updated statement shared with HuffPost on Friday, prosecutors said the 11-year-old boy is being cared for by a family member and they are asking for privacy. Prosecutors added that, according to a lawyer representing them, a member of the press falsely presented himself as a real estate agent in an attempt to speak to the girl and other family members.

The 15-year-old remains in custody at the Clark Child and Family Justice Center, according to the prosecutor’s statement. Attorneys representing the state before a judge will be asked Friday for a hearing to determine whether the 15-year-old’s case will be moved to adult court; That hearing has been scheduled for June 4, reported the Seattle Times.

Parker, the 15-year-old’s attorney, said in her statement that the defense is now asking the court to order prosecutors to immediately turn over copies of all police reports, forensic analysis and any other information obtained in the course of the investigation. the investigation.

“We are eager to obtain findings so we can further evaluate the government’s claims,” ​​the statement read. “There are important details that we would expect to see in a certification that are not in the probable cause certification.”