Additional Coverage:
- 15-year-old accused of killing his parents and 3 siblings in their Washington state home (nbcnews.com)
Tragedy in Washington: Teen Accused of Family Murders
A 15-year-old boy in Washington state has been charged with killing his parents and three siblings. After the shooting, he called police, claiming one of the victims had committed the act and then killed himself.
Investigators allege the boy staged the scene to falsely blame the 13-year-old victim. An 11-year-old sister, who survived by playing dead, escaped and alerted a neighbor.
The boy’s defense attorneys maintain his innocence, describing him as a “15-year-old boy with no criminal history.” However, the surviving sister told police her brother shot her and her family with a handgun from their father’s lockbox.
Evidence suggests the teen “systematically murdered” his family and then staged the scene to make it appear the 13-year-old was responsible. The father, mother, and three children were all shot.
King County Council member Sarah Perry expressed her condolences, stating, “My heart aches for the lives lost and all who are struggling to make sense of this loss.” The boy’s father, an electrical engineer, was remembered as a “respected colleague and friend” by his employer.