Bail set at $500,000 for Moses Lake teen

EPHRATA - Bail was set at $500,000 Monday for a 14-year-old Moses Lake boy accused of shooting his mother and father over the weekend.

Grant County Prosecutor Angus Lee said after the hearing his office would be filing two counts of first-degree attempted murder. Attorney pro-tem Douglas Anderson scheduled a hearing for March 20 to hear arguments whether or not the boy should be tried as an adult. Anderson was filling in for the presiding judge.

The boy allegedly broke into a gun cabinet, took an unloaded .22 caliber pistol, loaded it, walked into his parents' bedroom and shot them, according to the incident report compiled by the Moses Lake Police Department. The incident occurred about 10 p.m. Friday.

The boy allegedly told detectives he was angry that his parents grounded him from using all electronic devices after he received detention at school. He told investigating detectives he thought he would be able to do whatever he wanted if his parents were dead, the report said.

Surveillance tape obtained from the home's security system allegedly showed the boy walking through the lower floor of the house with a gun, according to the police report. After the shooting the boy allegedly threw the gun in the family swimming pool. It was later retrieved by Moses Lake police officers and city workers.

The victims were identified as Elizabeth Brooks, 39, and Jonothan Brooks, 38. Elizabeth Brooks was hit once in the face and once in the hand. Jonothan Brooks was hit once in the head.

The victims were transported to an out-of-area hospital. Their conditions were unknown as of Monday afternoon. Stephanie Voigt, a spokesperson with Moses Lake Christian Academy, where the boy is a student, said they didn't have an updated condition on the parents. School officials hadn't been in contact with the parents, she said.

Lee said prosecutors haven't determined yet whether they will request that the boy be tried as an adult. "Right now, that's the route we're pursuing," Lee said. But "we're far off from a final determination."

Prosecutors originally asked for $1 million bail, arguing the nature of the crime made the boy a risk to the community. Keith Houston, the attorney acting for the boy, said $1 million bail was unprecedented for a juvenile and said the boy was not a flight risk. The boy had support from his family, Houston said. His grandparents and other relatives attended the hearing. In those circumstances, Houston said, the boy's bail should be lower.

Anderson said $1 million bail wasn't unprecedented for a juvenile, and given the premeditated nature of the crime he set bail at $500,000, cash or surety bond (normally 10 percent of the total).

He ruled that if the boy makes bail, there must be a further hearing before he can be released.

Lee said prosecutors are thinking of charging the boy as an adult because if he's tried as a juvenile he must be released when he reaches his 21st birthday. In his opinion that's not a long enough sentence given the nature of the crime, Lee said.