Hearing postponed in shooting of Moses Lake couple

EPHRATA - A hearing to determine if a 14-year-old Moses Lake boy accused of shooting his parents will be tried as an adult was postponed Monday.

Both prosecution and defense attorneys asked for more time to prepare their arguments during a status hearing Monday. The next hearing, another status hearing, was scheduled for 1:30 p.m. April 8 in Grant County Juvenile Court.

A hearing to determine whether he would be tried as an adult was scheduled for Wednesday. That hearing was canceled and will be rescheduled at the April 8 hearing.

Bail was set at $500,000 during the boy's first court appearance March 11.

The boy is accused of shooting his parents, Jonothan and Elizabeth Brooks, of Moses Lake, on March 8 and was charged with two counts of first degree attempted murder.

They survived the shooting and the boy's sister was not injured.

The boy allegedly took an unloaded .22 caliber pistol from a locked gun case, loaded it, went into his parents' bedroom and shot them in the head while they slept. He allegedly told investigating Moses Lake Police Department officers that he was angry at his parents for barring him from using electronic devices after he had been disciplined at school. His dad had told them the next day would be busy, because he would have to do chores in addition to playing basketball.

He allegedly said he could only think that if his parents were dead he would be able to do what he wanted, according to the police report. He told police he had thrown the gun in the family swimming pool, and a gun was recovered from the pool by MLPD officers and city workers.

The boy's father was released from the hospital March 11, but staying with his wife as she recovered, according to a statement from the Moses Lake Christian Academy. The boy and his sister attend the academy.