In the quiet community of Fall City, Washington, the life of Mark Michael Humiston II, a 43-year-old White/Caucasian male, was brought to a tragic and violent end on October 21, 2024. A respected electrical engineer at Hargis Engineers, he was known as a valued member of his team. Beyond his professional success, he was a devoted family man, a husband to Sarah, and a father to their children.
The early morning hours of that Monday shattered the peace of their home on Lake Alice Road
Southeast. In a horrific turn of events, Mark, his wife Sarah, and three of their children, Benjamin, 13, Joshua, 9, and Katheryn, 7, were all found deceased inside their residence. All had suffered fatal gunshot wounds. The incident, which unfolded just before 5 a.m., was initially reported to authorities through a 911 call made by the couple's 15-year-old son. He claimed that his 13-year-old brother had killed the family before taking his own life.
However, the narrative presented by the teenage son quickly unraveled. Another of the Humiston children, an 11-year-old daughter, survived the massacre by pretending to be dead before escaping through a window to a neighbor's house to seek help. Her testimony, along with forensic evidence gathered at the scene, contradicted her older brother's account. Investigators believe the 15-year-old son used his father's Glock handgun in the shootings.
The King County Sheriff's Office responded to multiple 911 calls regarding a possible shooting at the home. Upon their arrival, they discovered the deceased family members. The 15-year-old son was taken into custody at the scene as the primary suspect. He has since been charged with five counts of first-degree aggravated murder and one count of first-degree attempted murder. The case is currently in the juvenile court system, although discussions about potentially moving it to adult court have taken place. This devastating act of domestic violence has left the Fall City community in mourning and grappling with the immense loss of the Humiston family.
