Before and after the IHS shooting: Today So Far

The tragedy at Seattle's Ingraham High School has now moved into the court system. Meanwhile, students and school officials are responding in the wake of the shooting.

This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for November 15, 2022.

It started as conflict between a handful of high school students. It ended with the death of a teenager in the halls of Seattle's Ingraham High School. The result is now a murder charge, school officials rushing to respond, and an eruption of student voices demanding safety.

A 14-year-old boy has been charged with first degree murder, first degree assault, and unlawful possession of a firearm after a shooting left one student dead in the halls of IHS. The King County Prosecutor's Office has requested that the murder case be moved out of juvenile court and up to adult court. A judge will ultimately make that determination. If the case does go to adult court, the big difference will be the potential sentences the teen could be subject to.

A 15-year-old boy has also been charged in relation to his case. Court documents state that the two teens appeared upset in class less than an hour prior to the shooting. Following that morning class, two groups of students, including the two suspects, got into a physical fight in a bathroom. Prosecutors say that one group found out that a student brought a firearm to school and were demanding that they give it to them.

Following the reported bathroom fight, the students exited into the hallway, but the suspected shooter reportedly believed his phone was taken during the altercation. About 10 minutes later, the two groups met again in the hallway. A witness told a Seattle detective that one group taunted the suspected shooter, saying he would not fire the gun, and began walking away. The suspect reportedly then took the handgun out of a backpack and fired at one student in the back. He then allegedly fired another shot at a student fleeing the scene.

The 14-year-old and 15-year-old were arrested at a nearby bus stop within hours of the shooting. A handgun found in their possession has since been matched up with shell casings from the scene.

The above information was derived from witness statements and security footage from the school. It is the foundation for the murder and assault charges that KCPO has filed. The final charge of unlawful possession of a firearm is because the teen is not allowed to posses a gun, given his age.

That is also why the 15-year-old boy has been charged with unlawful possession of a firearm. He has also been charged with felony rendering criminal assistance.

It's important to note that the information above is strictly from court documents, meaning it comes via police reports and the prosecutor. The two teens involved in the case have not spoken about the incident with any authorities, including detectives. It is likely that more information will come out as this court case proceeds, such as where the firearm came from. What is currently known is that the gun was reported "lost" in Snohomish County in late October.

The two teens have their next court date Tuesday afternoon.

Prosecuting documents also state that the two teens made a stop after the shooting, and before they were arrested at a nearby bus stop. A resident at a home near the school reported to police that she saw two teens walking through her backyard. She confronted them and they told her that there was a shooting at their school and they appeared frightened. She invited them inside her home, and gave them some water as they made calls attempting to find a ride home. After about 30 minutes, they continued walking to the bus stop. The neighbor took a photo of the teens in her home, without them knowing, and showed that to police.

This information is only now known because prosecutors are using it for their case, but students at Ingraham High School know it first hand. The experience prompted thousands of students across Seattle to gather at City Hall yesterday.

“For so many people that have hard home lives, school is a safe haven,” Nina Soleil, a sophomore at West Seattle High School, said at the demonstration. “And that is being destroyed by guns.”

Students at the event told KUOW they want better security at schools. Others said it was difficult to do schoolwork after the tragedy. And others said that the response from school officials has been inadequate.

Prior to the walk out, the Seattle Student Union issued a list of demands, urging officials to place more mental health counselors at schools. They also want updated safe storage laws, a ban on assault rifles, and more security training at schools for de-escalation and anti-racism.

See photos from the demonstration here.

According to a statement from Seattle Public Schools, additional social workers and counselors were brought in for Ingraham students in the wake of the shooting. More security was present on campus, too.

Seattle Superintendent Brent Jones has also called for a new safety initiative that includes a "district-wide safety and security audit," the formation of a "community action team," and a new "child well-being council."

In a statement, Jones said the community action team will determine what can be done immediately to improve safety and security at schools. This team will include Mayor Bruce Harrell and Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz. The child well-being council will include nurses, pediatricians, and psychologists and will be tasked with recognizing "the warning signs before acts of violence are committed."

"A school shooting is something no student, family, or educator should have to endure," Jones said in a statement. "We cannot allow violence to take root in our community. We must do more to prepare our students to resolve conflicts with words, not weapons. As a school community we have a chance to help steer our students away from violence. As we mourn this loss, we also have an opportunity to grow in a way to prevent this type of tragedy from happening again. We can work together to find ways to make our schools safer."

AS SEEN ON KUOW

Thousands of students rallied on the steps of Seattle city hall after walking out of class in protest of gun violence in schools on Monday, November 14, 2022, in Seattle. (Megan Farmer / KUOW)

DID YOU KNOW?

Washington voters approved Initiative 1639 in 2018. It went into effect in 2019, changing many aspects of firearm laws in the state, including safe storage requirements. Seattle has its own, similar, safe storage law.

According to the Attorney General's Office, Washington's safe storage regulation does not dictate how a firearm is to be safely stored, but it does define unsafe storage as a firearm that is stored in a manner that the owner "reasonably should know, that a prohibited person may gain access to the firearm." The AG's office notes that if a firearm is not secured, and it is obtained by a prohibited person (such as an underage person), the owner could be charged. The owner could further be charged if the gun is used in a crime. Charges range from a misdemeanor to a felony.

There are caveats. If the gun is stolen, or was initially stored in a way that prevents a person from accessing it, then the owner cannot be charged if it is used in a crime. In other words, firearm owners should be using trigger locks, safes, and storing guns unloaded.

No officials are going around, inspecting how gun owners are storing their weapons. So such regulations generally kick in after an incident occurs and a firearm is recovered from someone who shouldn't legally have it, or after it is used in a crime.

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