A 15-year-old US boy has been charged with killing his parents and three siblings at their luxury Seattle-area home. According to authorities, the teen also attempted to murder his 11-year-old sister, who survived the attack. Court documents reveal the boy tried to stage the crime scene to blame his 13-year-old brother, whom he shot multiple times in the head, for the killings, reported King5 News.
The massacre took place early Monday morning. The alleged murderer called 911 to alert the police and claimed his younger brother killed the family and then died by suicide. At the same time, another emergency call came from a neighbour, reporting the 11-year-old survivor had been shot and was bleeding. She identified her 15-year-old brother as the shooter before being rushed to Harborview Medical Centre in Seattle.
Responding deputies found the dead bodies of the parents, Mark and Sarah Humiston, and their three younger children – aged 6, 9 and 13 – inside the family home. The boy was taken into custody without resistance. The lone surviving sister, who escaped the attack, was treated for gunshot wounds and released from the hospital by Wednesday, a hospital spokesperson told USA Today.
Mark Humiston, 43, was an electrical engineer in Seattle, while Sarah Humiston, 42, was reportedly a registered nurse. The family was well-regarded by the community, and many described them as appearing “perfect” from the outside.
In court, defence attorney Amy Parker described the accused teen as a boy with no prior criminal history, adding he enjoyed outdoor activities such as mountain biking and fishing. If tried as an adult, he could face life imprisonment.
The 15-year-old is at the Clark Child and Family Justice Centre in Seattle and is expected to appear in court again on Friday. The King County Medical Examiner has ruled all five deaths as homicides.
