KING COUNTY, Wash. — The Fall City teenager accused of killing his five family members will be tried as an adult.
King County Judge Veronica Galván announced her decision Wednesday afternoon.
A two-week decline hearing was held at the end of September where both sides pleaded their case before she made her decision.
When it comes to sentencing for a murder trial, being tried as over or under 18 years old makes a huge difference in the length of the sentence. If found guilty under the age of 18, the suspect could be out of jail less than ten years after the murders happened.
In October 2024, King County prosecutors say the then-15-year-old teenager shot and killed his three siblings and parents and shot and hurt his 11-year-old sister at their home in Fall City.
Police say his sister was shot in the neck, but she played dead until he left the room and then went to a neighbor’s house for help.
At the time of the murders, police say the suspect was two weeks away from his 16th birthday. As a result, whether he should be tried as a juvenile or an adult has been up in the air. If he was 16 at the time of the murders, he would be automatically tried as an adult.
KIRO 7’s Brandon Thompson is digging into what’s next for this case and will have more coming up.