FALL CITY, Wash. — Today marks one year since King County prosecutors say a 15-year-old boy shot and killed his five family members in Fall City.
The court case is in a holding pattern as attorneys decide whether to try him as an adult or a juvenile. That determines how long he is legally allowed to serve in prison if convicted.
They have been trying to make that decision since last year, but a hearing to determine the final ruling keeps getting pushed back.
On October 21, 2024, prosecutors say the 15-year-old, who we are not naming due to age, took his dad’s gun, then shot his parents and three siblings in the head, killing them.
They say he also shot his other sister in the neck, but she played dead and was able to run to a neighbor’s house for help.
Investigators say the teen killed the family, then staged the scene to make it look like his dead brother did it, took a shower, changed his clothes, and called 911.
The surviving sibling told police that it wasn’t true, naming her 15-year-old brother as the shooter.
Fast forward a year, and that teen is still in jail waiting to find out what happens with the impending trial.
The case also can’t move on until psych evaluations are done, but the defense says they are having trouble getting witnesses to interview due to the intensity of the situation.
In July, the defense asked to push the decline hearing until October 2026. This is when the court would determine whether the teen could be tried as an adult. The judge turned that down, saying the date was too far away.
Instead, that hearing was set for April 2026. The teen is expected back in court at least once before then on December 10.
According to the boy’s attorneys, he has no prior criminal history.
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