Teen charged with five counts of aggravated murder in City case

The King County District Attorney's Office has filed charges against the 15-year-old arrested in connection with the Fall City murders.

The teenager's faces five counts of aggravated first-degree murder and a count of Attempted first degree murderwhich includes a firearm upgrade. All charges are classified as domestic violence crimes.

The teen remains in secure custody at the Clark Child and Family Justice Center in Seattle, a juvenile-only facility.

Details about the incident

The shootings occurred on October 21, 2024 at the family's home near Lake Alice. The victims include:

• MH (father)
• SH (mother)
• BDH, JCH and KEH (siblings)

The only surviving sibling, BAH, escaped with injuries and sought help from a neighbor. According to charging documents, BAH identified her 15-year-old brother as the shooter.

According to charging documents, BAH told investigators that her brother had recently “got into a lot of trouble” for failing school exams. She also explained that her father kept a Glock pistol in a small locker that he occasionally placed by the front door to take to work. BAH stated that her older brother was the only one among the siblings who knew the locker combination.

After the incident, the 15-year-old teen allegedly called 911 and attempted to portray BDH, one of the deceased siblings, as the perpetrator.

Investigators found firearms at the scene that were intended to mislead law enforcement. Autopsies confirmed that the victims died from multiple gunshot wounds. BAH statements and physical evidence from the crime scene led to the charges against the teenager.

Next Steps

The teen's next court appearance is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 25, at 1:30 p.m. at the Clark Child and Family Justice Center in Seattle. Prosecutors are working closely with investigators as the trial continues.

In Washington state, cases in which 15-year-olds are charged with aggravated first-degree murder are initially filed in juvenile court. However, prosecutors can request a hearing to determine whether the case should be moved to adult court. This decision requires the approval of a judge after hearing arguments from both the prosecution and the defense.

If the case remains in juvenile court, the juvenile can only be held until age 25. If transferred to adult court and convicted, the sentence would be 25 years to life in prison, with a presumption of release after 25 years, subject to review by the Undetermined Court Sentence Review Board. The teen remains in juvenile detention and could be transferred to an adult correctional facility if he is still incarcerated at age 25.

Further updates will be provided as more information becomes available.