15-year-old boy charged in shooting deaths of parents, 3 siblings in Washington state

SEATTLE (AP) — A 15-year-old boy accused of killing his parents and three of his siblings this week east of Seattle tried to pin the slayings on his younger brother, but a sister who survived after playing dead escaped to a neighbor's house and told police who really carried out the shootings, authorities said in a court document made public Thursday.

The boy was charged Thursday in juvenile court with five counts of aggravated murder. Under Washington state law, a hearing is required before the case can be moved into adult court.

The 11-year-old sister who survived Monday's shooting told investigators that the defendant had recently gotten into trouble for failing tests at school, and that the handgun he used belonged to their father. Of all the children, she said, he was the only one who knew the code to the lock box their dad kept it in.

The King County Medical Examiner's Office identified the victims as Sarah Humiston, 42, Mark Humiston, 43, and their children Katheryn Humiston, 7, Joshua Humiston, 9, and Benjamin Humiston, 13.

According to an affidavit of probable cause by King County sheriff's detective Aaron Thompson, the defendant called 911 around 5 a.m. Monday to report that his 13-year-old brother had shot and killed their family at their home in Fall City because he had gotten in trouble for looking at pornography.

A neighbor a few minutes later called 911 saying the injured 11-year-old had come to the home reporting that her family had been shot by her 15-year-old brother and that she had played dead before escaping, the affidavit said.

Arriving deputies detained the 15-year-old in the driveway and found the bodies inside. The 11-year-old was treated at a hospital in Seattle and has since been released, a hospital spokesperson said.

The 15-year-old waived his right to appear in court on Tuesday, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. His defense attorneys said in court that he has no criminal history. His attorneys didn’t immediately respond to a message seeking comment on the charges Thursday.

The teen is scheduled to appear in court on Friday afternoon.

Mark Humiston worked as an electrical engineer with Hargis Engineers in Seattle.

“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 in statement Thursday. "Mark’s leadership and vision were integral within our firm, and he will be greatly missed.”

FILE - Eight-year-old Vaughan Leveen, left, hands a candle to a King County Sheriff Deputy Amy Crawford before a candlelight vigil for the victims of the mass shooting a day before, in Fall City, Wash, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. (Jennifer Buchanan/The Seattle Times via AP, File)

FILE- Bouquets of flowers line a stone picnic table at a roadside park as a small memorial to the victims of a mass shooting the day before in Fall City, Wash., Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. (Jennifer Buchanan/The Seattle Times via AP, File)

FILE - Pastor Carrie Bland, hand at left, uses her candle to light others during a candlelight vigil for the victims of the mass shooting a day before in Fall City, Wash., Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. (Jennifer Buchanan/The Seattle Times via AP, File)

King County Superior Court Judge Joe Campagna, top left, speaks during a preliminary hearing for a suspect in the shooting deaths of five people at a home in Fall City, at the Clark Child and Family Justice Center, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, in Seattle. (Nick Wagner/The Seattle Times via AP, File)

FILE - Neighbors leave the scene of a fatal shooting Monday morning, Oct. 21, 2024, in Fall City, Wash. (Kevin Clark/The Seattle Times via AP, File)

FILE -Police arrive on the scene of a shooting in Fall City, Washington, Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. (Kevin Clark/The Seattle Times via AP, File)

NEW DELHI (AP) — Tropical Storm Dana made landfall along India's eastern coast late Thursday night, uprooting trees with its torrential rains and strong winds.

The storm entered Odisha state with maximum sustained winds of around 110 kilometers (68 miles) per hour and gusts expected up to 120 kph (75 mph), according to the Indian Meteorological Department. Officials told the Press Trust of India news agency that the landfall process is expected to continue into Friday as the storm pushes further into northern Odisha, before gradually weakening over the next few hours.

As it made landfall, the storm pounded some districts in Odisha and neighboring West Bengal state with heavy downpours as gusty winds brought down trees, local media reported. As of early Friday, there were no deaths nor any major damage reported.

Climate scientists say severe storms are becoming more frequent in South Asia. Global warming driven by planet-heating gases has caused them to become more extreme and unpredictable.

Indian authorities began preparing for the storm earlier in the week. In Odisha, nearly 600,000 people were evacuated from high-risk zones and several teams of rescue and aid workers have been deployed. Schools were closed, more than 200 trains were canceled and flights to and from the capital cities of Odisha and West Bengal were suspended.

Authorities were on high alert for damage in three districts in Odisha, where the weather department forecast a sea surge of around 1 meter (yard) during the landfall process, which could further flood low-lying areas.

India’s eastern coasts have long been prone to cyclones, but the number of intense storms is increasing along the country’s coast. 2023 was India’s deadliest cyclone season in recent years, killing 523 people and costing an estimated $2.5 billion in damage.

A surfer enters the Bay of Bengal at Konark beach in Puri district of Odisha state, on India's eastern coastline, where Tropical Storm Dana is expected to make landfall late on Thursday and early into Friday, according to the Indian Meteorological Department, India, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024. (AP Photo)

A stray dog sits on an empty jetty on Hooghly River after ferry services were suspended due to the approaching Tropical Storm Dana, which is expected to make landfall late on Thursday and early into Friday, according to the Indian Meteorological Department, in Kolkata, India, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)