In Washington, 15-year-old charged with killing parents, 3 siblings

A 15-year-old was accused on Thursday with killing his parents and three siblings, as well as attempting to kill a sibling who escaped the attack on the family's Washington state home on Monday.

According to the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, the teenager was charged with five charges of first-degree aggravated murder and one act of first-degree attempted murder.

Juvenile court is currently handling the boy's case. However, when a judge hears arguments from the defense and prosecutors, the case might be transferred to adult court.

Following reports of a shooting at a residence in the Lake Alice Road district of Fall City, approximately 25 miles east of Seattle, five individuals were discovered dead just before 5 a.m. Monday. The victims included two adults and three children, ages seven, nine, and thirteen.

The 15-year-old was being held at a juvenile detention center Thursday after being arrested the day of the incident.

Earlier this week, the King County Sheriff's Office said that one youngster in the house had survived the attack and was admitted to the hospital. According to a representative for Seattle's Harborview Medical Center, the 11-year-old child has since been released.

The 15-year-old called the King County Sheriff's Office at approximately 4:55 a.m. on Monday, stating that someone else "just shot my whole family and committed suicide, too," according to a probable cause statement written by a sheriff's office detective.

According to the detective, the 11-year-old girl who managed to live by pretending to be dead fled out a fire window and sought assistance from a neighbor.

According to the probable cause statement, the surviving sibling informed police that her 15-year-old brother had shot her and her family with a Glock handgun that had belonged to their father.

Before she fled, the 11-year-old told authorities she heard someone yelling "stop" and "help," and that the teen had shot her before leaving the room, the detective wrote.

The 15-year-old was accused on Thursday with five counts of first-degree attempted murder and first-degree aggravated planned murder. Each of the six offenses has a domestic violence designation, and the attempted murder charge includes a weapons enhancement, according to court filings.

The 15-year-old was represented by defense lawyers during a planned court appearance on Tuesday after he forfeited his right to appear in person, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.

According to court records, the 15-year-old will next appear in court at the Clark Child and Family Justice Center on October 25 at 1:30 p.m.