BURIEN, Wash. — A 17-year-old boy is in custody after the shooting death of a teenage girl at an apartment complex in Burien.
Family confirmed to KIRO 7 that the victim was 17-year-old Kaylynn Voegele, a junior at Mt. Rainier High School.
Authorities say that at about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, residents at a complex near Ambaum Boulevard Southwest and 156th Street heard loud fighting in a hallway and then multiple gunshots.
When authorities arrived, they found a girl with a gunshot wound to the head. She later died at the scene.
“It’s a sad situation,” said Sgt. Jason Houck with the King County Sheriff’s Office. “We are still trying to find out the events that led up to it.”
Deputies believe the victim and the suspect knew each other. The nature of their relationship is still unclear.
Neighbors say Voegele was visiting the complex with another 17-year-old boy.
Neighbors say Kaylynn was at the complex who visited a friend.
Authorities say the suspect never left the complex after the shooting. He was interviewed several times by detectives who became suspicious of his story.
“His recollection of what was going on and what happened surrounding the incident,” said Houck. “His story keeps changing and not matching up with what other folks were telling us.”
Neighbors told KIRO-7 they heard one shot, a few seconds later, two more. They found two bullet holes in the front door of the condo building.
They think it is likely the suspect shot at the door after he shot and killed Voegele, to try to make it look like it was an outsider or a drive-by shooting.
Neighbors who saw the victim said they thought she was just sitting on the floor of the stairwell on her cellphone. When they got closer they saw she was dead.
Voegele attended Highline High School last year. This year she attends Mt. Rainier High School.
Highline Schools sent out a letter to all the families in the district about the murder.
"We have reason to believe that she was one of our own and had attended school in Highline since her elementary years, " wrote Superintendent Susan Enfield, "Today we had crisis team members available at schools where the student attended and provided a safe place for students who wanted to talk with someone."
The suspect is now in custody at a juvenile detention center. He will have a 2 p.m. court appearance on Friday.