Seattle, United States

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A 15-year-old boy has been detained after allegedly killing five members of his family and injuring another at a Fall City home in Washington, authorities said on Tuesday, October 22.

Police found two adults and three children dead at the lakeside house 25 miles east of Seattle on Monday. Another teenage girl was found injured, who was shot twice but escaped from the scene and is receiving treatment in hospital.

Neighbours describe the shocking incident as “unfathomable”. They described the young victims as “so sweet and polite”.

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Mike Mellis, a deputy with the King County Sheriff’s Office, said the shooting was a “family incident” and confirmed that the youth has been taken into custody. While all six members of the family lived in the same home, their relationships with each other are not yet known.

A 911 call was made by someone in the home. "They shot the other family members, I believe there is five total, not including the RP (reporting party) who’s hiding in the bathroom," a dispatcher said during a call, according to Fox13.

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"I only saw the children in the driveway yesterday afternoon," Lynne Trowern, a neighbour, told Fox13. She described that it had been quiet until around 4 pm after which the family came home and one of the boys played the piano in the garage. "I’m shocked. I kept bursting into tears."

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"They immediately took one young teenage male into custody," said Mellis.  "It does appear to be a family incident, a domestic violence incident that involves a young man who’s in significant trouble, and involves firearms." According to the Gun Violence Archive, this incident was the 25th mass murder in 2024.

“This incident was a very contained tragedy within a family or within an extended family or within the residence,” Mellis said. “As bad as it is, at least it stayed contained within this property.”

The teen boy has been detained at the King County Juvenile Detention Center.

(With inputs from agencies)