Teen charged in Fall City mass shooting

Teen charged in Fall City mass shooting

A community support meeting will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 26, at Snoqualmie Valley Alliance Church.

A 15-year-old teenager has been charged with murdering his parents and three of his siblings following an Oct. 21 shooting.

On Oct. 24, the teen was charged with five counts of aggravated first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder. Two adults and three juveniles were found dead in a home on Lake Alice in Fall City early on the morning of October 21st.

The King County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the adults as Mark and Sarah Humiston and the children as Katheryn Humiston, 7, Joshua Humiston, 9, and Benjamin Humiston, 13. All five people died from gunshot wounds. An injured 11-year-old girl was taken to hospital on Monday and has since been released.

The 15-year-old gunman had called 911 the morning of Oct. 21 and claimed his 13-year-old brother had killed the family before killing himself, according to documents filed in King County Superior Court.

The police then received a call from the family’s neighbor, who provided medical assistance to the 11-year-old girl. She went to her neighbor’s house to get help after finding her family members had been shot and herself being shot, the documents said. The documents also state that the 15-year-old used his father’s Glock pistol in the shooting.

The 15-year-old appeared in court for the first time on October 22nd, but waived his right to be present and was instead represented by defense lawyers. King County Superior Court Judge Joe Campagna ordered the teen to be held in secure custody and have no contact with the surviving member of his immediate family, according to Casey McNerthney, spokesperson for the King County Prosecutor’s Office (KCPAO).

A court hearing on the case was held on October 25, where prosecutors asked that the case be tried in adult court. This is not the same as trying the 15-year-old as an adult, McNerthney said in a statement. State law has different guidelines for sentencing juveniles in adult court. The judge will take several opportunities over a period of several months to hear the views of the prosecution and defense before making this decision on jurisdiction.

The defense and prosecution will provide their next update at a status meeting on January 8, 2025. An arraignment hearing will not be held until after the judge makes a decision on jurisdiction in the case.

McNerthney told King5 that there have been no cases involving this teenager at KCPAO, which is unusual for “allegations of this nature.”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.