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Staff Writer: Akshit Bagga

Email: abagga@umassd.edu

Police arrested and charged a 15-year-old boy in Washington after he killed his parents and three siblings and attempted to kill his younger sister. Because the suspect is a juvenile, the presiding judge ordered the withholding of his identity.

The first responders in Fall City, Washington, received several calls during the early hours of October 21 reporting a fatal shooting. Deputies were immediately deployed, and upon arriving at the scene, they discovered that a 15-year-old boy had shot everyone in his family, killing his parents and three younger siblings.

In an attempt to kill his fourth sibling, his 11-year-old sister, the teenager shot at her.

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The boy was immediately taken into custody while his younger sibling was rushed to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle and treated for her gunshot injury. 

Among the deceased were parents Mark Humiston (43) and Sarah Humiston (42) and their children Katheryn Humiston (7), Joshua Humiston (9), and Benjamin Humiston (13). 

The 11-year-old sister was able to escape through the bedroom window with only one wound to a neighbor’s house after acting dead. 

In a briefing on the day of the shooting, Fall City’s police jurisdiction and King County Sheriff’s office spokesperson Mike Mellis mentioned, “Once bodies were discovered, clearly we understand that this is a hugely significant crime scene.”

The suspect tried to blame the killings on his 13-year-old brother. At 5 AM, the 15-year-old called the police and claimed that his brother had killed all members of his family and committed suicide after he was caught watching pornography.

Seven minutes later, cops received another distress call from neighbors of the Humiston family. The neighbors informed the first responders that the 11-year-old girl from the family next door had shown up at their house with a gunshot wound. 

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When interrogated, the 11-year-old girl remembers waking up to gunshots and seeing her father and younger sibling dead on the floor, witnessing the killing of her younger brother before being shot herself by her elder brother. She was able to hold her breath, pretending to be dead, and then escaped through a window once the suspect left her room. 

The sister mentioned that her brother had recently gotten in trouble after failing tests at school. 

The 11-year-old was able to recognize the murder weapon, her father’s silver Glock handgun that used to be secured in a lockbox. She said that other than her father, her brother was “the only one who knew the combination” for the lockbox.  

The teen suspect is currently being held in juvenile custody and has been charged with five counts of murder and one count of attempted murder in the juvenile court. He could be sentenced to life. 

Prosecutors are attempting to move the case to adult court. A defense counsel was assigned to the suspect.

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An official statement from the father’s employer mentioned, “We are blindsided and saddened by the tragic events that have led to the loss of a respected colleague, mentor, and friend, as well as the loss of immediate family members.”Mourners and residents who knew the family gathered at Fall City United Methodist Church on the evening of October 22 to pay their condolences. A neighbor said, “They were very strong Christians, they loved God. You could tell.” They added, “It’s one of those cliche things like everyone says on the news: ‘You never suspect this,’ and it’s true.”