An 11-year-old girl is lucky to be alive after she survives her teen brother’s massacre of their family.
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The terrifying event occurred inside the little girl’s Washington State home in late October, PEOPLE reports. Authorities discovered the bodies of several people, including children, inside the residence on Monday, Oct. 21.
The King County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to PEOPLE that deputies were responding to reports of a possible suicide around 5 a.m. However, upon arrival, they discovered that it was a “homicide investigation with multiple deaths.”
“It is looking like a possible domestic violence situation with no danger to the public,” the sheriff’s office stated at the time.
Among the victims were juveniles and adults. The sheriff’s office initially was not specific about how many victims there were nor the age range. Deputies noted that the victims are understood to be family members.
Days later, it was reported that a 15-year-old boy was responsible for the massacre. Five members of the family, including parents Mark and Sarah Humiston were among the dead. Other victims identified were Katheryn Humiston, 9, Joshua Humiston, 9, and Benjamin 13.
They were all fatally shot.
The 11-year-old girl, whose teen brother was the one who shot her family members, managed to survive the deadly incident by playing dead.
The teen, whose name has not been publicly released due to his age, has been charged with five counts of aggravated murder and one account of attempted murder.
The Girl Heard Screaming Outside Her Bedroom Before Her Teen Brother Walked In and Shot Her in Bed
According to KOUW, the 11-year-old girl revealed she barely escaped with her life after hearing screams outside of her bedroom.
She revealed that after her brother shot at her while she was lying in bed, she saw the bodies of her family members in the hallway. The pre-teen then played dead so that her brother would leave her room.
She eventually was able to escape from a fire window and ran to a nearby neighbor’s home.
The pre-teen also told law enforcement that she recognized the gun her brother carried “as her father’s silver Glock handgun.” She pointed out her brother was the only child in their family who knew the combination of the firearm lockbox.
Her teen brother allegedly called 9-1-1 and told authorities that their other brother had shot the family members and then committed suicide. The teen reportedly attempted to “stage” the scene before law enforcement arrived.