Mark Humiston/Facebook, Colleen Michaels/iStock
A 15-year-old boy in Fall City, Washington, has been charged with five counts of aggravated murder for the deaths of his parents, Mark and Sarah Humiston, and three younger siblings. The court documents also reveal that the boy was charged with attempted murder after allegedly shooting and injuring his 11-year-old sister, who managed to survive the attack and report the tragedy to nearby neighbors.
According to King County court documents obtained by CBS News, the victims were Mark and Sarah Humiston, the boy’s parents; two brothers, ages 9 and 13; and a 7-year-old sister. The accused juvenile’s identity has not been released due to his age. Each of the five family members was killed by gunshot wounds, as confirmed by autopsies from the King County Medical Examiner’s Office. Authorities believe that the firearm used in the shooting belonged to the father.
Charging documents detail a disturbing sequence of events that began just before 5 a.m. on Monday when the suspect called 911 with a fabricated story, claiming that his 13-year-old brother had killed the family and then taken his own life. But simultaneously, 911 dispatchers received a second call from a neighbor who reported that the suspect’s 11-year-old sister had appeared at his house, bleeding from an apparent gunshot wound, told the New York Post.
The girl informed dispatchers that her family had been killed and identified her 15-year-old brother as the shooter. She explained that after being shot herself, she played dead and later escaped through a window to get help.
Law enforcement officials responded to the Humiston home, where they found the teen suspect waiting in the driveway. Inside, they discovered the bodies of his parents and siblings. During a hospital interview later, the surviving sister identified the gun used as “her father’s silver Glock handgun.” According to her account, her father kept the gun in a small lockbox near the front door and was known to bring it to work, but her brother was the only one who knew the combination of the lockbox.
Court documents state that investigators believe the suspect “systematically murdered” his family members, staging the crime scene in a way that suggested his younger brother was the assailant. The motive remains unclear as the charging documents did not provide any insight into the boy’s reasoning for the alleged killings.
The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has requested that the case be transferred to adult court, a decision that could significantly affect the teen’s potential sentencing. Should the case be transferred and the suspect convicted, he could face a sentence of 25 years to life, with the possibility of release after 25 years, pending a review by the state’s Indeterminate Sentence Review Board. No formal arraignment will take place until a decision on whether to proceed in adult or juvenile court is reached—a process that may take months.
In a public statement, the boy’s defense team stated, “He is a 15-year-old boy who enjoys mountain biking and fishing and has no criminal history.” They emphasized his youth and lack of previous legal issues.
Mark Humiston, a respected electrical engineer at Hargis Engineers in Seattle, was remembered fondly by his company. “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,” the company said. “Mark’s leadership and vision were integral within our firm, and he will be greatly missed.” As the community of Fall City mourns this profound loss, authorities are working to determine how the case will proceed and what justice will look like in this heartbreaking situation.
