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5 dead in shooting in home near Seattle and teen in custody, authorities say

5 family members killed in Washington state
Teen in custody after 5 members of same family killed in Washington state 01:43

Fall City, Wash. — Law enforcement officials found five people killed in a shooting inside a home southeast of Seattle on Monday morning and took a teenager into custody, police said.

Several people called 911 around 5 a.m. to report a shooting in Fall City, Washington, King County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Mike Mellis said at a media briefing Monday afternoon.

Arriving deputies immediately took one teen into custody while another teenager who'd been wounded was taken to a Seattle hospital, Mellis said. Both teens live at the house, Mellis said.

Deputies entering the home found the bodies of five people, he said. Two were adults and three were described by Mellis as young teenagers. No names have been released yet.

"Once bodies were discovered, clearly we understand that this is a hugely significant crime scene," he said.

Public defenders representing the 15-year-old who was taken into custody said in a statement provided to CBS News Tuesday that "our client is a 15-year-old boy who enjoys mountain biking and fishing and has no criminal history." They said the court granted their request to restrict the media from dissemination of the teen's name.

Attorneys Amy Parker and Molly Campera said that they "have received a 1-page document that outlines the allegations in this case." 

It was unclear if criminal charges had been filed, or what those charges possibly were.    

Mellis said the shooting appears to involve members of a family, but added that they didn't yet know how they were related. He also said there was no ongoing threat to the community.

"I have no reason to think that there will be any additional arrests," he said.

Other people called police from a bathroom inside the home where they hid during the incident, sources told CBS Seattle affiliate KIRO-TV.

Deputies said a neighbor with medical experience helped a teenager who was injured during the incident, according to KIRO. That victim was taken to a hospital for treatment.  

The teen in custody was booked into King County's juvenile detention facility, according to Mellis. The teen was to appear in court for a first hearing on Tuesday or Wednesday, a spokesperson for the county Prosecuting Attorney's Office said in an email.

A neighbor told KING-TV that a couple and their five children lived in the home.

"I'm just in total shock, I keep bursting into tears," Lynne Trowern, told the news outlet.
An emailed statement Monday evening from King County Councilmember Sarah Perry said the shooting involved a family of seven people.

Sheriff Patricia Cole-Tindall told KING-TV that she was "very sad, very disturbed" to learn about the shooting.

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