Neighbors Describe a Tranquil Scene Day Before Murder of 5

Adults have been identified in Washington state tragedy
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 23, 2024 3:00 AM CDT
Adults Identified in Washington Shooting of 5 Family Members
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)

Police confirmed Tuesday that the two adults and three children shot dead inside a lakefront Washington state home Monday were a couple and three of their kids, and that the suspected shooter is their 15-year-old son. The adults were identified as Mark and Sarah Humiston, KING 5 reports. None of the children have been identified publicly, but police say the sole survivor is an 11-year-old girl who remains hospitalized in satisfactory condition. Neighbors say the children were homeschooled, and were well-known and active in the community, often helping neighbors with projects. One neighbor recalled the kids coming over to celebrate the Fourth of July with sparklers, and says one of the children had recently painted her a picture. Others recalled often seeing the kids swimming, fishing, boating, or walking around the lake with their parents, Fox 13 reports.

The day before the shooting, a neighbor says she witnessed the usual amount of family activity at the home, which the New York Post describes as a $2 million mansion in a pricey area. "It was very quiet there yesterday up until 4. I think they just came home from somewhere and the kids were running up and down the driveway as usual, one of the boys was playing piano in the garage," she recalls. Early the next morning, the 911 calls started. "They shot the other family members, I believe there is five total, not including the RP (reporting party) who's hiding in the bathroom," said the 911 dispatcher on the call that came from inside the home. At an initial court hearing Tuesday, the suspect's defense attorney described the teen as a "boy who enjoys mountain biking and fishing and has no criminal history."

(More Washington state stories.)

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