Fall City Murders: 11-Year-Old Girl Played Dead in Room as 5 Family Members Were Shot and Killed in Washington State Home

An 11-year-old girl from Washington state fled her home early this morning to escape a shooting that left her bloodied and wounded and her entire family dead.

Over the course of several days this week, authorities investigated the gruesome fatal shootings of five people in Fall City, Washington. Now the girl’s account, detailed in court documents, provides the first glimpse of what happened.

The 11-year-old boy recalled waking up Monday to the sound of gunfire. When she looked outside her bedroom door, she saw her father, Mark Humiston, with blood on his head and her 9-year-old brother with blood in his mouth, both lying on the floor in the hallway, according to court documents.

When her 7-year-old sister walked out of their shared bedroom, the 11-year-old girl said she heard another gunshot before seeing her little sister fall to the floor, documents state.

She told investigators the shooter then came into her bedroom and fired his weapon multiple times, hitting her in the arm and neck.

Despite the pain she felt from being hit by the bullet, the 11-year-old girl told authorities she recognized the weapon. Court documents say the gun was a silver Glock pistol that belonged to her father.

And she also recognized the shooter. According to her, it was her 15-year-old brother.

The 11-year-old girl recalled seeing her brother approach the bodies of other members of her family to check if they were alive and playing dead herself as he stood next to her bed.

Their mother, Sarah Huminston, and 13-year-old brother were shot to death elsewhere in the home, authorities said.

The video in the player above is from a previous report.

Two 911 calls about the same shooting

The girl told investigators she escaped through a fire window in her room after her brother left the room and she heard him talking on the phone. She ran to a neighbor’s house, where just after 5 a.m. they called 911 to report the shooting and that the shooter was a 15-year-old, court documents say.

But it wasn’t the first 911 call about a shooting that morning.

Seven minutes earlier, the 15-year-old had called for help, out of breath and saying he was hiding in the bathroom, according to court documents. He told the 911 operator that his 13-year-old brother had killed their entire family and committed suicide, court documents say.

According to court documents, the 13-year-old was caught watching pornography the night before and was in a lot of trouble, the 15-year-old told a 911 operator as a possible motive for the shooting.

The 15-year-old was detained when police arrived at the house. He was charged in juvenile court Thursday with five counts of aggravated murder and one count of attempted murder with a firearm, according to court documents. CNN is not naming the 15-year-old because he is a minor.

Under Washington state law, a hearing and approval by a judge is required before a case can be moved to adult court. At Friday’s hearing, prosecutors formally asked that the teen’s case be transferred to adult court, a process that typically takes months before a final decision is made.

If he is found guilty and his case remains in juvenile court, he could be held for up to 25 years without any further sanctions, according to the King County Prosecutor’s Office. If convicted and charged in adult court, the teen could be sentenced to 25 years to life in prison, with a statutory presumption of release after 25 years.

“I would like to remind everyone that these are not proven facts, they are simply allegations, and the law presupposes that our client is innocent of these charges,” Amy Parker, the lawyer representing the teen, told CNN. “We want the court to know that our client is a 15-year-old boy who enjoys mountain biking and fishing and has no criminal history.”

Investigators believe the 15-year-old “systematically killed” his parents, two brothers and one sister; Tried to kill his 11-year-old sister and “staged” the crime scene before first responders arrived, according to court documents.

An 11-year-old girl told a 911 operator that her older brother had recently been in “a lot of trouble” for failing some tests at school, and later told investigators that he was the only sibling who knew the combination safe where their father was. was in possession of a firearm, court documents state.

The 11-year-old girl was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle after the shooting but has since been released, a hospital spokeswoman told CNN.

Community in mourning after mass shooting

A local family member stepped forward to care for the 11-year-old boy and an older sibling who remain in custody, King County Councilwoman Sarah Perry told CNN.

“At this time, I ask you to join me in keeping all family members, members of the Lake Alice and Fall City community, and others affected by this terrible situation in your hearts with prayers for peace and healing,” Perry said in his address. statement.

There have been at least 427 mass shootings in the United States this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which, like CNN, defines a mass shooting as one in which four or more people are injured or killed, not including the shooter.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, gun violence is the leading cause of death among minors in the US. More than 1,100 children and teenagers have died in mass shootings this year alone, records show.

Earlier this week, the 15-year-old was ordered by the court to have no contact with his surviving sister, according to Casey McNertney of the King County Prosecutor’s Office.

Mark and Sarah Humiston homeschooled their children and were very active in the community, neighbors told KING.

CNN contacted Hargis Engineers, where Mark worked.

“We are stunned and saddened by the tragic events that resulted in the loss of a valued colleague, mentor and friend, as well as the loss of immediate family members,” the company said in a statement to KING regarding his passing. “Mark’s leadership and vision have been an integral part of our firm and we will miss him greatly. Our thoughts are with his surviving family, friends and colleagues at this difficult time.”