In the fall of 2015, a tragedy unfolded in a quiet Lynnwood, Washington home, cutting short the life of 16-year-old Kandra B. Tan. A junior at Mountlake Terrace High School, Kandra was remembered by friends and staff as a warm, friendly, and gifted student who was proud of her Cambodian heritage. She was on track to graduate early and had a notebook filled with her goals for the future.
On the afternoon of October 15, 2015, a family member made a devastating discovery in the home located in the 3100 block of 202nd Street SW. Kandra and a 33-year-old Everett man, Liheang Ho, were found deceased in her bedroom from gunshot wounds to the abdomen. A handgun was recovered at the scene, lying between them. The Snohomish County Medical Examiner's Office later officially identified both individuals and determined the manners of death. Kandra's death was ruled a homicide, while Ho's was classified as a suicide.
The investigation by the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office concluded that it was a murder-suicide, with no outstanding suspects. Detectives believe Ho, who was known to Kandra's family but did not live with them, entered the home and shot Kandra before taking his own life. Friends of Kandra were aware she had a much older boyfriend, though some believed him to be her uncle. Reports indicate that Kandra had broken up with Ho just a week before their deaths, and the two had been arguing. Her mother disapproved of the relationship.
The night before the discovery, Kandra had been texting her best friend about her plans for the upcoming homecoming dance. Her family had knocked on her locked bedroom door that evening and the next morning without a response. When she didn't leave for school, they assumed she was sick. It was in the afternoon that they forced their way into the room and found the tragic scene. The motive for the murder-suicide remained unclear to investigators, leaving a community to mourn the sudden and violent loss of a promising young life. In the wake of the tragedy, Mountlake Terrace High School provided extra counselors to support grieving students and staff.
