15-year-old boy is held pending charges in 5 deaths in Washington state
Authorities say a 15-year-old boy will be held pending charges in the deaths of five people at a home east of Seattle
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A 15-year-old boy will be held pending charges in connection with the deaths of two adults and three young teenagers at a home east of Seattle, authorities said Tuesday.
The teen waived his right to appear in court on Tuesday, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. A judge found probable cause for five counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder in the killings. A child was also hurt and hospitalized.
During the hearing at the Judge Patricia H. Clark Children and Family Justice Center in Seattle, the judge also ordered the teen to have no contact with someone whom prosecutors described as the surviving member of his immediate family.
The person hurt, an 11-year-old girl, was in “satisfactory condition” at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle on Tuesday, hospital spokesperson Susan Gregg said. Law enforcement officials had initially said the person hospitalized was a teenager.
Police have said they believe everyone involved was related. A neighbor told KING-TV that a couple and their five children lived in the home.
The 15-year-old's defense attorneys said in court that he has no criminal history and asked that the media not release his name before a charging decision is made, which the judge granted.
Several people called 911 on Monday around 5 a.m. to report a shooting at a home in Fall City, Washington, an unincorporated community about 25 miles (40 kilometers) from Seattle.
Deputies found the bodies of five people inside the home, King County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Mike Mellis said. Arriving deputies immediately took the teen into custody while the girl who had been hurt was taken to the hospital. Both live at the house, Mellis said.
The 15-year-old was booked into King County’s juvenile detention facility, and no other arrests were expected, Mellis said.
Mellis said investigators believe the people killed had been shot. Their names and causes of death have not yet been released.
The deaths were the country’s 32nd mass killing this year, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.