Declination hearing set for parental shooting case

EPHRATA - A decision on whether the 15-year-old Moses Lake boy accused of shooting his parents will be tried as an adult will be made early next month.

The boy's declination hearing is set to begin Dec. 11.

A declination hearing is when the defense attorney argues that the case should stay in juvenile court.

The boy is currently charged with two counts of attempted murder and his bail is set at $500,000, according to a previous Columbia Basin Herald article.

The 15-year-old allegedly took a .22 caliber pistol out of a locked gun case, loaded it and waited around 90 minutes before deciding to shoot his parents in March. He reportedly told police his parents grounded him from video games and other electronic devices.

The boy's parents, Jon and Elizabeth Brooks, survived the incident and were transported to an out-of-area hospital to recover from their injuries.

The boy's parents are allowed supervised visits, but they cannot discuss the case, according to the previous article.

-Staff report