Kyle Huff

Case overview

Kyle Aaron Huff was the shooter in a mass killing that occurred on the morning of Saturday, March 25, 2006, in the Capitol Hill neighborhood east of downtown Seattle. He entered a rave afterparty and opened fire, killing six and wounding two. He then turned the gun on himself after being confronted by police on the front porch of 2112 E. Republican Street.

Timeline

• Friday, March 24, 2006 — A zombie-themed rave called “Better Off Undead” was held at the Capitol Hill Arts Center.
• Between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m., Saturday, March 25, 2006 — Huff left the “Better Off Undead” event to attend the afterparty at a home about a mile away.
• Saturday morning, March 25, 2006 (about 7 a.m.) — Officer Steve Leonard heard shots and reached the scene after multiple 911 dispatches; Huff was confronted outside the home.
• Saturday morning, March 25, 2006 (shortly before/at about 7 a.m.) — Huff shot himself as an officer confronted him.
• Saturday afternoon, March 25, 2006 — The Seattle Police Department served a search warrant on the North Seattle apartment that Huff shared with his identical twin brother, Kane.
• Monday, March 27, 2006 — Police released dispatch records; the King County Medical Examiner's Office officially ruled Huff's death a suicide and released the names of Huff’s victims.
• Monday, March 27, 2006 — Toxicology results were discussed as not expected to be available for several days.
• Monday, March 27, 2006 — Police reported additional details about what had been found in the house and the weapons.
• Tuesday, March 28, 2006 — As of March 28, 2006, the two hospitalized people were listed as in “satisfactory” condition.
• Wednesday, June 6 — Police released a handwritten note/letter to the media, not yet authenticated.
• A week later (after June 6) — The Washington State Patrol’s State Crime Lab concluded it was “highly probable” the letter was authentic.

Background

Huff was described as quiet and self-effacing at the afterparty, and at the rave he had been hanging out by himself. At the afterparty, at least one person reported sharing a bowl of marijuana with him. Multiple accounts stated that nobody recalled him leaving and that there was no altercation or belligerent behavior that would have alerted the party to the possibility of a violent confrontation.

Prior to the killings, on the evening of Friday, March 24, 2006, a zombie-themed rave called “Better Off Undead” was held at the Capitol Hill Arts Center. The center and promoters claimed a maximum attendance of 500 people through the evening, with about 350 at the peak. By nearly all accounts, the Capitol Hill Arts Center had security at the rave, and the only connection of the massacre to the rave was that the perpetrator and the victims attended the rave, and that one of the victims invited the perpetrator to the afterparty.

Huff left the “Better Off Undead” event to attend the afterparty at a home about a mile away. He reportedly did not personally know anyone at the afterparty and spoke pleasantly as it progressed. His motive remains unknown.

The offence

Location and time

The shootings occurred at a home at 2112 E. Republican Street in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, in the early morning hours of Saturday, March 25, 2006.

Victims and casualties

Six people were shot to death: Melissa Moore (14), Suzanne Thorne (15), Justin “Sushi” Schwartz (22), Christopher “Deacon” Williamson (21), Jeremy Martin (26), and Jason Travers (32).

Three other victims were taken to a hospital, and at least one died at the hospital. Police reported that two other people wounded in the rampage remained in the hospital and were in “satisfactory” condition as of March 28, 2006. One hospitalized patient asked that their information not be released.

Weapons and ammunition

On his way back to the afterparty, Huff returned to his large truck parked nearby. From the truck he retrieved a 12-gauge pistol-grip Winchester Defender shotgun and a .40-caliber semiautomatic Ruger handgun, as well as several bandoliers (over 300 rounds) worth of ammunition. Police later found a variety of other guns at and near the scene.

During the investigation, police reports and later disclosures indicated that Huff had brought multiple guns, more than 300 rounds of ammunition, a baseball bat and a black machete, and told guests as he fired, “There’s plenty for everyone,” or something similar.

Police displayed some weapons at a news conference, including a machete, a gold-colored aluminum baseball bat, and a Bushmaster XM15 E2S rifle. A black Dodge Laramie pickup was used to recover these items. Police also displayed a Winchester Defender shotgun with a pistol grip. The actual weapon, along with the .40-caliber Ruger semiautomatic handgun, were not shown during the display; police stated those firearms were being examined by detectives and were being traced to determine their origins.

Act of shooting

Huff spray-painted the word “NOW” on the sidewalk and on the steps of a neighboring home. Upon arrival at the afterparty location, police said he shot two victims who were outside: one on the steps and one on the porch. He then forced his way in through the front door and shot five more people on the first floor.

On the second floor, he fired through the locked door of a bathroom where a couple had taken refuge inside the bathtub; neither person was hit. The shooting inside the house was reported as lasting less than four minutes.

Witness accounts included that, as Huff fired, he said:

• “There’s plenty for everyone.”

Police also reported that survivors of the Saturday morning massacre told detectives that when Huff burst into the crowded house, he said something to the effect of “there’s plenty for everyone.”

According to accounts by police and witnesses, Huff walked through the house methodically, checking doors and looking for people, and people scrambled as he moved between rooms. A witness said the person heard Huff say: “I've got enough ammunition to shoot everybody.”

Investigation

Police believed the shooting happened at a party and stated the dead were all in their early 20s. At least a dozen other people were in the house at the time. Officers seized evidence and later served a search warrant.

Seattle Police Department served a search warrant on the North Seattle apartment that Huff shared with his identical twin brother, Kane. During the search, Kane returned home unaware of what had happened. Kane was taken into custody, questioned, and later released.

Investigators seized a computer but had not yet examined its contents and were working to obtain a search warrant. Police reported that they found a handwritten note in the dumpster apparently written by Huff. On June 6, police released the letter to the media before it was authenticated; the Washington State Patrol’s State Crime Lab later concluded it was “highly probable” that the letter was authentic. The authenticity discussion included that the letter was written on stationery from the apartment complex where the Huff brothers lived and matched known samples of Huff’s writing.

A handwritten note/letter described Huff’s anger at young ravers for their provocative lifestyle, particularly their sexual freedom, and ended with the quote:

• “Now, kids, Now”

Police also described the killings as “premeditated campaign of homicide.” Deputy Seattle Police Chief Clark Kimerer said police still had no idea what the motive was and that they expected to take time to find answers.

Arrest / police encounter / suicide

Officer Steve Leonard heard shots fired and headed to the scene based on multiple 911 dispatches. When Leonard reached the scene, he found one person staggering out of the house with a gunshot wound. Leonard confronted another man who emerged with a shotgun, repeatedly telling him to put the weapon down. The man turned the gun on himself and fired a fatal shot.

Police stated that before the officer could complete his demand that Huff drop his weapon, Huff put the gun in his mouth and shot himself through the head.

After the situation was under control, police found that Huff’s truck contained an AR-15 semi-automatic assault rifle, another handgun, ammunition, and other items including a baseball bat and a machete.

Aftermath

Investigation findings released

The King County Medical Examiner’s Office released the names of Huff’s victims: Jeremy Martin, 26; Suzanne Thorne, 15; Jason Travers, 32; Justin Schwartz, 22; Melissa Moore, 14; and Christopher Williamson, 21. Police also reported that two people wounded were upgraded to “satisfactory” at Harborview Medical Center as of March 28, 2006.

Police reported that dispatch records showed the first report of gunfire at 7:03 a.m. and the first call from inside the home at 7:05 a.m. reporting shooting outside.

Community and political reactions

Police and city leaders discussed the incident at a council briefing, including questions about whether it could have been a hate crime. Kimerer said all possibilities were being investigated and that discovering why could take a long time.

Mayor Greg Nickels was quoted as saying:

• “This is not about music, this is not about a party. This was about a guy who decided he was going to kill people and he had the firepower to do it.”

City Councilman Tom Rasmussen asked whether it was possible that this was a hate crime of some sort. Kimerer replied:

• “At this point, all possibilities are being investigated.”

Sandra Williamson announced:

• “I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that those raves continue… That is what I am going to do for Chris.”

Susan Gregg-Hanson, a spokeswoman for Harborview Medical Center, said as of Thursday one patient remained in the hospital in “satisfactory” condition.

Additional context about events and responses

The Capitol Hill massacre was described as the worst mass killing in Seattle since the 1983 Wah Mee massacre. In the wake of the killings, a debate occurred about underage dance rules and all-ages dance ordinances. The exchanges included a response by The Stranger against an editorial argument in The Seattle Times, and the accounts referenced the All-ages Dance Ordinance (AADO) and the Teen Dance Ordinance (TDO).

Other details

Perpetrator identifiers and dates

Kyle Aaron Huff was born September 22, 1977 and died March 25, 2006. He was reported as 28 years old in contemporaneous accounts.

Prior history and firearms history

Huff had previously been arrested in Whitefish, Montana, for destroying a public arts project and charged with a felony, involving shooting a moose statue that was part of an installation called “Moose on the Loose.” Police reported the weapons used in Seattle were purchased legally in sporting goods stores in Kalispell, Montana.

Police reported that the weapons were seized by police in Whitefish after Huff pleaded guilty to a reduced misdemeanor mischief charge in the moose incident, and were returned after he paid restitution and a fine. A felony charge related to destroying the art would have prohibited him from owning firearms.

In May 2004, Huff and his twin brother were involved in a brawl at the Lobo Saloon. The brawl involved as many as 10 people and Huff and his twin brother were listed as victims in the fight. In that account, one person said the fight began after a comment was made in the “mosh pit,” and Victim 1 could not remember what the comment was. The brothers said they were “jumped.”

Twin brother

Huff shared a North Seattle apartment with his identical twin brother, Kane. Kane was interviewed after the shootings and was described as stunned and baffled by Huff’s rage. Police stated that Kane apparently had no knowledge of his brother’s plans.

Witnesses and reported observations

Residents and witnesses described seeing people scattering from the home, including some with faces painted and hair dyed. William Lowe, 59, said he heard six shots shortly after his alarm went off and saw the man with the shotgun put the barrel in his mouth and fire.

Aaron Hoyle, 25, said about five people in or around their 20s lived in the house and that some were promoters of warehouse parties. Hoyle had not been to the home in about three months, and he came after hearing about the shooting on the news to see if friends were all right.

Neighbors described Huff spray-painting “NOW” and shooting in a progression through the front porch, steps, doorway, living room, bathroom door, upstairs rooms, and basement.

Notes on possible motives reported in discussions

Police stated they were committed to discovering the reasons behind the murders and expected it might take time. Some discussions by others speculated about revenge, but the case motive was stated as unknown. Investigators had not released the motive.