(DailyChive.com) – A tragedy unfolded in Fall City, Washington, when five members of a family were found shot to death in their home early Monday morning. The suspect in this devastating case is a 15-year-old boy, who initially claimed his 13-year-old brother killed the family before turning the gun on himself. However, the boy’s 11-year-old sister survived the attack and told a different story: her older brother was the real killer.
The sister told investigators that she escaped by pretending to be dead. Afterward, she climbed out a window and ran to a neighbor’s house for help. Police later found two adults and three children dead inside the home, located about 25 miles east of Seattle. The victims were identified as Mark Humiston, 43; Sarah Humiston, 42; and their children, Benjamin (13), Joshua (9), and Katheryn (7). According to the medical examiner, Mark had been shot four times, and Sarah was shot twice. The family’s two surviving members are the 15-year-old boy and the 11-year-old girl.
The teenage suspect initially called 911, telling dispatchers, “My brother just shot my whole family and killed himself”. He claimed his younger brother acted out after being punished for looking at pornography. But the sister gave a chillingly different account: the 15-year-old, she said, used a Glock handgun belonging to their father to kill the family.
She recalled how her brother shot her, left the room, and then returned to continue the massacre. She heard screams of “stop” and “help” before making her escape. Police later confirmed that the boy had access to the lockbox where the gun was kept, as he was the only sibling who knew the code. Detectives say the 15-year-old tried to frame his younger brother by staging the scene to look like a murder-suicide. He was arrested on the spot when police arrived at the home.
Prosecutors have charged the teen with five counts of murder and one count of attempted murder, all marked as domestic violence offenses. Although he is currently being held in juvenile detention, prosecutors are seeking to move the case to adult court—a process that could take months. During a recent hearing, the boy’s lawyers stressed that he had no prior criminal history and enjoyed mountain biking and fishing. For now, the judge has ordered the teen to have no contact with his sister while the case moves through the legal system.
The children’s father, Mark, worked as an electrical engineer. His company described him as a respected colleague, saying his leadership will be deeply missed.
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