Fall City teen accused of killing 5 family members gets adult court arraignment date

The Fall City teenager accused of killing his parents and three siblings is scheduled to be arraigned in adult court Nov. 17 at 1:30 p.m.

King County Judge Veronica Galván announced in October that the case would move to adult court following a two-week hearing to determine where the case should be handled. At the time, Prosecutor Jason Brookhyser said the true motive for the crime is not known.

“This case represents an unimaginable horror that [the suspect] was responsible for,” Brookhyser said.

Defense attorney Amy Park responded, “He is a rare combination of being exceptionally low risk while having tremendous rehabilitative potential.”

Fall City case moves to adult court, with sentencing implications

The teenager was 15 years old at the time of the October 2024 shootings, just two weeks shy of his 16th birthday.

King County prosecutors said he shot and killed his parents and three siblings at their Fall City home. His 11-year-old sister was also shot in the neck but survived.

Investigators said the girl played dead until her brother left the room, then escaped to a neighbor’s home to get help.

The distinction between adult and juvenile court is significant because it affects the potential sentence if he is convicted.

Although the case will be prosecuted in adult court, the teenager can be subject to juvenile sentencing provisions rather than adult sentencing.

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