WA - 3 children, ages 13, 9 and 7, among 5 killed inside Fall City home, 15 y.o. in custody - 21 October 2024

  • #21
  • #22
Prayers for the surviving sister, and the souls of the deceased.

These teenager rampages are becoming too frequent a grisly headline. Gun politics aside, what can we learn from studying this young man? We have to get better at identifying high risk individuals, and provide interventions before these disasters.

I agree with the poster who said we can’t equate homeschooling with violence. Agreed, however, troublesome behavioral markers are easier to hide without the more subjective eye of school officials.

So, so horrible and profoundly sad.

Amateur opinion and speculation
 
  • #23
Sincere condolences to the victims' loved-ones.

It's irrelevant that this teenager was home-schooled. He was troubled and found a weapon and made a choice. Unfortunately he will probably choose to remain silent and not explain himself.
 
  • #24
It’s so much worse than it initially appeared. HOW is that even possible?
 
  • #25

Sheriff's Office Detective Aaron Thompson said in the "certification for probable cause" accompanying the charges that based on the evidence it appears the 15-year-old “systematically murdered” his family members, attempted to murder his surviving sister, and “staged the scene prior to the arrival of first responders” to make it appear that his younger brother had committed the murders and then killed himself.

The accused “then further perpetuated the false staging by repeatedly telling the 911 dispatcher” that his younger brother was responsible. Investigators found the gun in the hand of the decreased 13-year-old. Dispatchers received 911 calls from the accused, and shortly after from neighbors at the house where the sister fled.
 
  • #26

Possible motive?

When investigators asked if her 15-year-old brother had issues at home, she said he had gotten into “a lot of trouble” for failing tests at school, according to the charging documents.
 
  • #27

His name has been released.

AH faces five counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder in connection with Monday's rampage in the unincorporated community of Fall City, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
 
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  • #28

10/24/24

The 15-year-old was put in touch with an attorney who told detectives he would not speak to them, according to the charging documents. He remains in King County’s youth jail at the Judge Patricia H. Clark Child and Family Justice Center.

In filing the charges, the prosecutors also filed a motion seeking a “discretionary decline hearing,” in which they would make the argument that the juvenile court should decline jurisdiction and have the suspect tried as an adult — a process that could take months.

While 16- and 17-year-olds charged with murder and certain other serious violent offenses can be automatically charged as adults, a discretionary decline hearing is required before younger teens can be charged in adult court.

If convicted as charged in adult court, the teen would be sentenced to a minimum of 25 years.

The next court hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Friday.
 
  • #29
Yikes what a dangerous individual. Only 15-years-old , allegedly: figured out how to open the lock-box with the gun, murders one after the other, stages the scene, calls 911 with his story.

Will it ever hit him, all that he has done and lost? What caused him to be this way?
 
  • #30
Yikes what a dangerous individual. Only 15-years-old , allegedly: figured out how to open the lock-box with the gun, murders one after the other, stages the scene, calls 911 with his story.

Will it ever hit him, all that he has done and lost? What caused him to be this way?

Surviving sister indicated he was given the passcode to the lockbox, not to excuse the rest.
 
  • #31
The girl said her entire family had been fatally shot and identified her 15-year-old brother as the gunman. The girl told dispatchers she was also shot by her brother and "then described holding her breath and playing dead," the documents read. The girl later told detectives she had escaped through a bedroom window
 
  • #32
  • #33

Possible motive?

When investigators asked if her 15-year-old brother had issues at home, she said he had gotten into “a lot of trouble” for failing tests at school, according to the charging documents.

This struck me as odd. I don’t know all the ins and outs of homeschooling, but the circumstances of a situation where a teen is in trouble for “failing tests at school” while being homeschooled doesn’t fully make sense to me.

Appreciate any insight from those with more knowledge of homeschooling!
 
  • #34
Yikes what a dangerous individual. Only 15-years-old , allegedly: figured out how to open the lock-box with the gun, murders one after the other, stages the scene, calls 911 with his story.

Will it ever hit him, all that he has done and lost? What caused him to be this way?
He didn’t have to figure out how to open the box, he had the combination to the box, according to the sister.
 
  • #35
This struck me as odd. I don’t know all the ins and outs of homeschooling, but the circumstances of a situation where a teen is in trouble for “failing tests at school” while being homeschooled doesn’t fully make sense to me.

Appreciate any insight from those with more knowledge of homeschooling!
I do not specifically know THEIR circumstances, however, I do know that some homeschoolers pool their resources and will have group lessons led by instructors who are “experts” (quotes intended, you add the level of sarcasm/enthusiasm you’re comfortable with) in a particular subject, especially in higher grade levels.
 
  • #36
This struck me as odd. I don’t know all the ins and outs of homeschooling, but the circumstances of a situation where a teen is in trouble for “failing tests at school” while being homeschooled doesn’t fully make sense to me.

Appreciate any insight from those with more knowledge of homeschooling!
I've known several homeschooled kids refer to their lessons as "school." Maybe that's what she meant? JMOO

Homeschooling can be very beneficial -- but it seems to me that some families do it for the wrong reasons--or an unhealthy dynamic develops. I can't judge the family, but if the boy had mental problems, this type of life might not have been the healthiest for him.

The couple were extremely religious and imposed a highly-controlled existence on their five kids – including dictating who they could be friends with and homeschooling them.
 
  • #37
I do not specifically know THEIR circumstances, however, I do know that some homeschoolers pool their resources and will have group lessons led by instructors who are “experts” (quotes intended, you add the level of sarcasm/enthusiasm you’re comfortable with) in a particular subject, especially in higher grade levels.
I should add, homeschoolers are actually quite organized, as a group, if they choose to participate. That being said, I do not know the circumstances of this particular family, so MOO MOO MOO. <modsnip>
 
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  • #38
His name has been released.

At age 15, not legally released in the state of WA. The Minor must first be charged as an adult pursuant to a discretionary decline hearing which could take several months.

While 16- and 17-year-olds charged with murder and certain other serious violent offenses can be automatically charged as adults, a discretionary decline hearing is required before younger teens can be charged in adult court.
 
  • #39
I should add, homeschoolers are actually quite organized, as a group, if they choose to participate. That being said, I do not know the circumstances of this particular family, so MOO MOO MOO. It has been said that they were a very religious family, VERY. So, I don’t know if they would isolate or not. Again….i do not know….MOO
Looking at the photos of their property, the Posted: Keep Out sign, and then reading the following makes me think they may have isolated to some extent.

The source described how the family maintained a small tight-knit circle and had caused some bad feeling in the community over the summer after ordering their eldest sons to stay away from the children of LGBTQ families living nearby.

'It caused some disquiet,' the source said.

'Mark found out that the boys had made friends with those kids and insisted they didn't see them again. Everyone was quite upset about it.'
But, that's all hearsay right now.

And, that's still not an excuse to kill not only his parents but his siblings as well.

What was he thinking it would accomplish?
 
  • #40
At age 15, not legally released in the state of WA. The Minor must first be charged as an adult pursuant to a discretionary decline hearing which could take several months.
I believe that is later today. The charging documents were posted online last night, that’s where the name came from. They are chilling. There is no way on earth he is not going to adult court.
 

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