Pierce County teen charged with double murder after mass house party shooting

The Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has filed charges against a 17-year-old they suspect shot and killed two people over the weekend during a house party.

Six people were shot, and two died—a 15-year-old and a 19-year-old.

“We have one deceased male on scene, and one deceased male at a local hospital,” Carly Cappetto, spokesperson for the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, said. “Then we have two juvenile female victims and two other male victims.”

The four other victims remain at local hospitals with serious injuries, but are expected to recover.

Prosecutors charged the 17-year-old Monday with two counts of murder in the first degree and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in the second degree. The teen appeared in court Monday afternoon and pleaded not guilty to all three counts. His bail is currently at $2 million.

How the house party shooting started

Neighbors began calling local authorities about the house party and how loud it grew at 10:45 p.m. However, before Pierce County deputies could arrive in time, more calls came in reporting shots fired at the party. According to KING 5, deputies were initially diverted to a different call, and weren’t able to respond to the scene until shortly after midnight.

When deputies arrived, they found someone dead in the street in front of the home that was hosting the party.

According to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, multiple people were armed at the party, and those who were shot by the suspect fired shots back before collapsing.

The party was hosted by a 17-year-old girl, whose mother was reportedly home at the time of the party. According to responding deputies, she said she didn’t see the shooting.

This is a developing story, check back for updates

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