A parent and three children shot and killed inside a $2 million mansion in Washington state have been identified Monday.
Mark Humiston, 42, his wife Sarah, and three of their four teenage children were found shot to death inside a tony house in the Seattle suburb of Fall City around 5 a.m. Monday. It was done. king 5 Reported.
The couple's 15-year-old son is accused of carrying out the massacre. The alleged killer's teenage sister was also targeted in the attack, but survived despite being shot twice.
She was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle after receiving medical help from a neighbor.
According to LinkedIn, Mr. Humiston is a native of Texas and a longtime software engineer at Hargis Engineers in Seattle.
“We are blindsided and saddened by the tragic events that led to the loss of a respected colleague, mentor, friend, and immediate family member,” Hargis Engineers said in a statement to King 5.
“Mark's leadership and vision have been essential to our company and he will be greatly missed. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues during this difficult time.”
Humiston's wife was a registered nurse, according to local news outlets. However, it is unclear whether she was still practicing because her nursing license expires in 2022.
Authorities have not released the identity or age of the child victims, but neighbors told FOX 13 they appeared to be teenagers, with the oldest being around 15 years old.
According to King County, deputies responded to the Lake Alice Road home (a beautiful waterfront property) just before 5 a.m. Monday after receiving multiple 911 calls for a “disturbance with gunshots,” where two parents and two parents were dispatched to the home. The bodies of three children were reportedly found. Mike Mellis, sheriff's spokesman.
KIRO 7 reports that at least some of the 911 calls that alerted officers to the shooting came from victims who were inside the home and hiding in the bathroom.
“They shot at other family members. I think it's five people total, not counting the RP (reporting team) hiding in the bathroom,” one dispatcher said during the call, according to FOX13.
Mellis said the shooting appeared to be a “domestic violence” incident involving a “young man with serious issues and who used a firearm.”
“Once the body is discovered, it becomes clear that this is a very important crime scene,” Melis explained.
Police arrested the boy as soon as they arrived at his home.
Prosecutors asked the court Tuesday to indict the boy on five counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.
Attorneys Amy Park and Molly Campella, who are representing the 15-year-old boy, said in court that the boy waived his appearance at his first court appearance on the advice of his attorney.
“Regarding probable cause, we received a one-page document outlining the allegations in this case. However, the information we have is limited and we are investigating the case prior to this hearing.” “Given the short time available, we are leaving the probable cause to the court,” the lawyer said.
“Finally, regarding his release, we would like the court to know that our client is a 15-year-old boy who enjoys mountain biking and fishing and has no criminal history.”
The Huminstons purchased a luxurious three-bedroom, four-bathroom mansion in Fall City in 2019, one of the most expensive homes in America.
The median home price in the Seattle suburb of Fall City is $1.5 million.
Mr. Mellis described the city of about 2,000 people as “a really nice neighborhood with a low overall crime rate.”
“I'm really shocked,” neighbor Lynn Trowane told KING-TV.
“I keep crying. So I have to go to my daughter's house because I can't stay here by myself. I just look at the faces of the children.”
Neighbors added that the children were friendly and were known to help neighbors with projects at their homes, although their parents likely kept it secret.
“They're very polite. They're homeschooled. I can't understand what happened,” Cameron, a former neighbor, recalled of the children.
The nearby Snoqualmie Valley School District confirmed that at least two of the victims were still “school age,” but none attended school in the district.
The boy remains in custody at the King County Juvenile Detention Center and is prohibited from contact with his surviving immediate family members, prosecutors said.
