15-Year-Old Accused Of Killing Family And Staging Scene To Frame Brother

A 15-year-old boy was arrested on Thursday and accused of fatally shooting five of his family members and staging the scene at their Fall City, Washington, home to frame his 13-year-old brother, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announced.

The 15-year-old, whom HuffPost is not naming, is charged in juvenile court with five counts of aggravated murder in the deaths of his family members, identified by the medical examiner’s office as siblings Katheryn Humiston, 7; Joshua Humiston, 9; Benjamin Humiston, 13, and 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 following his hearing on Friday, the 15-year-old’s public defender, Amy Parker, said that despite the horrific allegations, multiple people in the community have reached out and attested to the teen’s “good character. ”

“He has been described by them as kind and caring,” Parker wrote. “This is a boy who has many friends, has pro-social interests, and has been a positive contributor to his community. ”

With tears in her eyes, the 11-year-old told detectives she was in the bedroom she shared with Katheryn when they were both woken up to the sound of gunshots, according to the document. She went to go check what was happening, then saw Joshua and her dad laying bloodied on the hallway floor.

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

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

She then heard someone shouting “stop” and “help” and what she believed was her 15-year-old brother speaking on the phone, according 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 came back to the bedroom to check on her.

“She closed her eyes and held her breath and pretended to play dead as he stood next to her bed,” a detective with the King County Sheriff’s Office 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 escaped through the window and ran to a house a quarter-mile away. While she was outside, she saw her brother talking on the phone through the front window.

At 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 their family and “taken himself out,” authorities said.

“He just shot my whole family and committed suicide too,” the 15-year-old allegedly told authorities.

The 15-year-old told deputies that Benjamin had been caught looking at pornography the night before and killed the family because he feared getting in trouble, according to the probable cause statement.

Authorities also received a second 911 call around that time from the house where the 11-year-old had escaped to, saying she had suffered a gunshot wound and witnessed her family’s killing, according to the probable cause document. She identified her 15-year-old brother as the shooter and stated she was concerned that he would come over, the document said.

The 15-year-old was detained when deputies arrived at the home shortly after the calls, and they found the rest of the family dead, according to the probable cause document. The mother had been killed inside a bathroom located in the primary bedroom.

Benjamin was found dead with a Glock handgun in his left hand lying on his chest, according to the document. But authorities noted that there was no apparent blood splatter on his hand.

In an updated statement shared with HuffPost on Friday, prosecutors said the 11-year-old is being taken care of by a family member and they’re asking for privacy. Prosecutors added that according to an attorney representing them, a member of the press falsely presented themself as a real estate agent in an attempt to talk the girl and other relatives.

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

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

“We are eager to get discovery in order to further evaluate the government’s claims,” the statement read. “There are significant details that we would expect to see in a certification that are not in the certification for probable cause.”