How did an 11-year-old Washington state girl survive her brother’s murderous rampage?

According to an 11-year-old girl, quick thinking helped her survive when someone opened fire inside the family’s home, and her brave decision also helped bring the suspect, her teenage brother, into custody.

According to CBS News, the tragic shooting happened around 5 a.m. on Monday in Fall City, Washington, about 25 miles west of Seattle, and the girl’s parents, Mark, 43, and Sarah Humiston, 42, and three of her siblings, ages 7, 9, and 13, were all killed. The girl’s 15-year-old brother was arrested and charged with murdering his family members. Because the victims and the suspect are all minors, their names have not been reported in the press. Multiple reports say the gun belonged to the alleged shooter’s father.

The 11-year-old girl had been shot

The 15-year-old male reportedly shot his 11-year-old sister, too, but she told dispatch she held her breath and played dead until she was able to escape out her window and flee to a neighbor’s house and call 911. She told them her family had been shot, and her brother did it. The girl’s brother was arrested at the scene, and police found all five of the victims’ bodies inside the house. The surviving sister was treated at a Seattle-area hospital and released.

While still in the hospital, the girl said her brother had recently gotten in trouble for bad grades, and a court affidavit states he had been caught viewing online pornography, explaining a possible motive. She said her dad kept the gun locked up, but besides her father, her brother was the only one of her siblings who knew the lock combination to the box it was kept in.

The accused shooter called 911, too

Not only did the 11-year-old’s quick thinking and bravery help save her life, but the fact she managed to make it to her neighbor’s house helped police arrest her brother. Local police say the alleged quintuple murderer called 911, too. He, however, said his 13-year-old brother did it, and then killed himself while the 15-year-old was hiding. But around that same time, his sister, who he thought was dead, called the police and gave them a different story, leading to the accused shooter’s arrest. When police arrived, they found the suspect had placed the gun in his dead brother’s hand.

According to the Associated Press, the teenage suspect had no criminal history, and as well as the murders of his family, he has now been charged with attempted murder for his sister’s shooting. The suspect will be charged as a juvenile, but upon review, a judge could move the case to adult court, which, under Washington law, will make a significant difference in the boy’s sentencing if found guilty.

Referring to the Humiston family, a neighbor told Seattle’s KING 5 news, “I’m just in total shock. I keep bursting into tears. That is why I have to go to my daughter’s house because I can’t be here on my own. I just keep seeing the faces of the children.” Meanwhile, King County deputy Mike Mellis added, “I can say that it’s going to be really a tragic event for the community, for anybody who has any connection out here.”