On Monday morning, law enforcement investigators discovered five individuals dead in a shooting inside a residence southeast of Seattle and arrested a teenager, according to police.
Several people contacted 911 at 5 a.m. to report a shooting in Fall City, Washington, said King County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Mike Mellis during a media briefing Monday afternoon.
Mellis claimed that when deputies arrived, they promptly arrested one adolescent and sent another injured youngster to a Seattle hospital. Mellis stated that both teenagers live in the house.
Deputies who entered the home discovered the bodies of five persons, he added. Mellis identified three of the people as young teenagers, while two were adults. There have been no names announced yet.
“Once bodies were discovered, clearly we understand that this is a hugely significant crime scene,” the politician stated.
In a statement to CBS News on Tuesday, public attorneys defending the 15-year-old who was arrested said, “Our client is a 15-year-old boy who enjoys mountain biking and fishing and has no criminal history.” They said the judge granted their motion to prohibit the media from using the teen’s name.
Attorneys Amy Parker and Molly Campera stated that they “have received a 1-page document that outlines the allegations in this case.” It was unknown whether criminal charges had been brought, or what those charges may be.
Mellis stated that the incident seemed to include members of a family, although they did not know how they were related. He also stated that there was no current threat to the neighborhood. “I have no reason to think that there will be any additional arrests,” he told reporters.
Other people phoned police from a toilet within the house where they were hiding during the incident, according to sources at CBS Seattle affiliate KIRO-TV.
According to KIRO, deputies reported that a neighbor with medical experience assisted a teenager who was injured during the event. The victim was sent to the hospital for treatment.
Mellis said the adolescent in custody was put into King County’s juvenile detention center. The adolescent was scheduled to appear in court for his initial hearing on Tuesday or Wednesday, according to an email from the county Prosecutor’s Office.
A neighbor informed KING-TV that a couple and their five children lived in the house. “I’m just in total shock, I keep bursting into tears,” Lynne Trowern told the news source.
The incident involved a seven-person family, according to an emailed statement from King County Councilmember Sarah Perry on Monday evening.
Sheriff Patricia Cole-Tindall told KING-TV that she was “very sad, very disturbed” to hear of the shooting.
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5 dead in shooting in home near Seattle and teen in custody, authorities say