Fall City community gathers to grieve after family tragedy

FALL CITY, Wash. — The Fall City community is grappling with shock and sorrow after five family members were found dead in their home. A community meeting was held to provide a space for residents to come together and reflect on the tragedy.

Dozens gathered at the Snoqualmie Valley Alliance Church to support each other after a 15-year-old was charged with killing his family.

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Susan Street-Wong, a Snoqualmie Valley resident, said, “With this being so tragic and heartbreaking, I think we have to rely on each other to make it through this.”

The meeting was closed to cameras to respect those grieving, but officials from the King County Sheriff’s Office addressed the public about the case and answered questions.

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Local church leaders also spoke about coping with the pain. Pastor Baly Botten of the Snoqualmie Valley Alliance Church said, “The question of why is on the front of everyone’s mind, and partly what’s addressed is that things will come out in the future, but it will never satisfy the deep pit and sorrow that we all hold.”

The 15-year-old is charged with killing his parents and three younger siblings, as well as shooting his 11-year-old sister, who managed to escape and seek help from a neighbor. “I’m confused, how and why, but it will come in time, and I just worry about the young survivor,” a community member said.

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Attendees expressed the profound loss felt throughout the area. “They’re my neighbors, and so I either knew maybe friends of theirs; they’re still part of the community, and I grieve for them and the extended family and the little survivor,” Street-Wong added.

The meeting highlighted the community’s resilience. Captain Tim Meyer of the King County Sheriff’s Office said, “The Snoqualmie Valley, like so many of our communities throughout King County, are resilient. They’re going to work through and stay connected, and as long as that remains, this community will heal.”

Residents said the meeting was a step forward in healing together, though they acknowledged the long road ahead as the case progresses. The 15-year-old has been charged with five counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. He remains in juvenile detention, awaiting a hearing next June to determine if he will be tried as an adult.