Five dead in Washington shooting, 15-year-old suspect in custody

Authorities in Washington state announced Monday that five people, including three children and two adults, were killed in a shooting at a residence near Seattle, with a 15-year-old suspect detained in connection with the mass killing.

A girl living at the residence was also wounded in the incident, according to the King County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff’s office spokesperson Mike Mellis told reporters at the scene that the teenage suspect was taken into custody without resistance.

The relationship between the victims and the suspect, as well as the motive for the killings, remains unclear at this stage.

Multiple emergency calls reporting gunfire were received from the Fall City community, approximately 16 kilometres from Seattle, in the early hours of Monday.

A neighbour with medical training provided “first aid until ambulances arrived”.

The detained teenager is expected to appear before a judge either today or tomorrow, sheriff’s officials said.

The United States, which has more firearms than residents, records higher rates of gun-related deaths than any other developed nation.

Gun violence remains a persistent issue in the country, with successive governments unable to implement effective measures due to the powerful gun lobby’s influence and strong public resistance to firearms restrictions.Copy