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topicnews · October 25, 2024

Teenager charged with murder of parents and three siblings

Teenager charged with murder of parents and three siblings

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Prosecutors in Washington on Thursday charged a 15-year-old boy with the murders of his parents and three siblings at a home in an affluent neighborhood outside Seattle.

According to the King County Prosecutor’s Office, Andrew Humiston is charged with five counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder in connection with Monday’s shooting spree in the unincorporated community of Fall City.

His parents, Mark and Sarah Humiston, and three of his siblings – ages 7, 9 and 13 – were found dead at the scene when officers arrived.

An 11-year-old girl, one of the suspect’s two younger sisters, was injured in the shooting and has since been released from a Seattle-area hospital. According to an affidavit filed in Washington Superior Court for King County, she managed to escape by playing dead and then running to a neighbor’s house for help.

The shooter was arrested at the scene and has been held in a juvenile detention center ever since. At a court hearing Tuesday, he waived his right to appear and a judge concluded there was probable cause to hold him on five counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. Law enforcement and his lawyers said he had no criminal record.

Molly Campera and Amy Parker, the attorneys representing the suspect, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the charges filed Thursday. After the first hearing in juvenile court, they released a statement reiterating that their client had no criminal record. They described him as a teenager who enjoyed mountain biking and fishing.

“The law states that our client is presumed innocent of these allegations, and we are grateful for a trial that requires proof and proof before reaching a verdict,” the statement said.

Records show a teenager shot his parents and siblings and tried to frame his brother

The first call to report the shooting came from the suspect himself, according to an affidavit. Shortly before 5 a.m., the teen allegedly called 911 and told the dispatcher that the 13-year-old brother “just shot my whole family.” and committed suicide.”

Investigators said based on the evidence, the suspect shot his parents and siblings and then manipulated the crime scene to pin the blame on his brother.

“It appears that Andrew Humiston systematically murdered his mother, father, two brothers and sister and attempted to murder his other sister,” an affidavit said. “Humiston then staged the scene before first responders arrived to create the impression [his brother] had committed the murders and then killed himself.

In an interview with investigators, the 11-year-old girl said she was awakened by the sound of a gunshot and saw one of her brothers and her father lying in the hallway, the affidavit said. She told law enforcement she saw the suspect shoot her sister.

The suspect then came into her bedroom and shot her at least once, according to the affidavit. She closed her eyes and held her breath for a while until the suspect left the room. She managed to escape the house through her bedroom window and ran to a neighbor’s house, who then called 911.

The 11-year-old said she recognized the gun “as her father’s silver Glock pistol,” the affidavit states. She told law enforcement that her father kept the gun in a small locker that was occasionally near the front door so he could take it to work. She added that of all four children, the suspect was “the only one who knew the combination” to the locker.

A black Glock handgun was found at the scene, according to the affidavit.

When investigators asked her about the problems the suspect was having at home, she told them, “He had recently gotten into ‘big trouble’ for failing some tests at school.”

Father was an engineer, mother a nurse

Mark Humiston worked as an electrical engineer for Seattle-based consulting firm Hargis Engineers, where he was known as a mentor who brought leadership and vision to the company, Chris Sheldon, a company spokesman, previously told USA TODAY in an email.

“We are surprised and saddened by the tragic events that have resulted in the loss of a respected colleague, mentor and friend, as well as the loss of immediate family members,” a company statement said.

According to the Washington State Department of Health website, Sarah Humiston previously held a license as a registered nurse. Public records show her license expired in 2022.

Mourners gathered at Fall City United Methodist Church Tuesday evening to mourn the Humistons and their children. Residents who knew the couple and their children said they were a seemingly happy family who were well-known in the community.

“They were very strong Christians, they loved God. You could tell,” neighbor Camille Sharp told KOMO News. “It’s one of those cliche things that everyone on the news says, ‘You’d never guess,’ and it’s true.”

Contributor: Eric Lagatta and Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY

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