SEATTLE — A teenager accused of killing two Rainier Beach High School students appeared in court Monday after nearly two months on the run.
The suspect, who was 15 years old at the time of the shooting, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm.
He turned 16 shortly after he was arrested last week.
Investigators tracked down the teenager using a combination of surveillance video, cell phone records, and an anonymous tip.
Damon Hansen lives off of 44th Avenue South, not far from the shooting scene. His security camera recorded the suspect walking by his house on the day of the shooting.
Hansen said he was initially unaware of the person’s identity but worked to organize his neighbors shortly after the incident.
“In this neighborhood, after that happened I made a WhatsApp group,” he said.
“Like a neighborhood watch group so we can keep things safe.” Hansen shared the video with the Seattle Police Department a few days later.
He noted that his primary concern was the safety for the neighborhood.
“Well my instant reaction was somebody was on the loose in my neighborhood and you guys better catch him,” Hansen said.
The investigation revealed that Hansen’s camera was one of many in the area that captured the teenager’s movements.
Detectives also obtained footage from a King County Metro bus, several local businesses and a Renton High School.
Hansen said he was pleased that his equipment assisted the police. “It’s not very expensive,” he said.
“So yeah, if it’s helping to capture bad guys. So, I am certainly happy about that.” Beyond surveillance footage, investigators utilized cell phone records to connect the teenager to the scene of the shooting.
This evidence, combined with an anonymous tip that confirmed the suspect’s identity, led to his arrest after approximately two months. Prosecutors want to move the case to adult court, a process officials say could take months to resolve.
During the Monday hearing, prosecutors acknowledged the procedural steps involved.
“I don’t think there should be anything new that needs to be indicated since we aren’t arraigning, but I appreciate counsel’s agreement to waive that,” a prosecutor said.
“Obviously, this is in everyone’s best interest.”
The suspect is scheduled to return to court on May 20.