By  Steve Huff

March 27, 2006

advertisement

SEATTLE (Crime Library) — The eclectic Capitol Hill District of Seattle, Washington (WA) was jolted awake by gunfire early Saturday morning, March 25, 2006. In the blue house with white trim located at 2112 E. Republican, a tall, heavyset man in his late 20s from Whitefish, Montana (MT) was committing what would come to be known as one of the worst mass murders in Seattle history. The city had not witnessed such a dramatic, horrible crime in nearly 23 years.

The man, clad in black and toting several weapons, walked the half-block from his black pickup truck to the house that morning, randomly spray-painting "NOW" in bright orange on the sidewalk and front steps of neighboring homes. Then, as he approached the front of 2112 E. Republican, he opened fire.

Seven people, ranging in age from early teens to early thirties, lay dead from gunshot wounds when the man was done, at least two more were injured, one critically.

By early Monday, March 27, 2006, 4 of the 7 young people who were murdered had been positively identified. They were Jason Travers, 32, Jeremy Martin, 26, Christopher Williamson, 21, and Justin Schwartz, 22.

The rampage was quickly over. The killer had been terribly efficient, wielding among other things a shotgun with a pistol-grip stock. The fifth name that came out of the carnage that morning was the killer's: Aaron Kyle Huff.

Aaron Kyle Huff ended his bloody spree when confronted by a Seattle cop in front of the residence. Before the officer finished his shouted warning for Huff to drop the weapon, Aaron Kyle Huff put the shotgun barrel in his mouth and pulled the trigger.

Huff was dead in an instant.

Later that day police took Aaron Kyle Huff's twin brother and roommate Kane into custody for questioning, having served a search warrant on the Huff residence. There they found a cache of weapons, including a hand grenade.

A neighborhood, a community, city, a country was left bewildered.

Next Page

Steve Huff can be reached via email at huffcrimeblog@gmai.com

For more daily crime news