Let’s remember the Capitol Hill Massacre, on this day in 2006 (March 25)
This will be one of the hardest posts in this series to write about, because I remember it happening so vividly, and it happened around the time I was a twenty-something introvert trying to find my own way around the Seattle music scene.
Here’s is HistoryLink’s summary of what happened:
On March 25, 2006, Kyle Huff opens fire at a rave afterparty held at 2112 E Republican Street in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. Six people are killed and two are wounded. Police officer Steve Leonard, who is patrolling nearby, arrives at the scene within minutes, as Huff is leaving the house. Just as the officer commands the killer to drop his weapon, Huff kills himself. This is the largest mass killing in Seattle since the Wah Mee Massacre in 1983.
Raves are all-night dance events featuring electronic dance music that is usually high-energy and upbeat. On the night of March 24, a zombie-themed rave called “Better Off Undead” was held at the Capitol Hill Arts Center, with hundreds in attendance wearing face paint and fake blood. At about 3:30 a.m., the young people who lived at 2112 E Republican Street looked around for people to invite to their afterparty. They often welcomed strangers into their home.
Kyle Huff wasn’t dressed up or dancing, and had been a wallflower at the rave for most of the evening. Nevertheless, he was approached by 26-year-old Jeremy Martin, who offered him a pull off of his whisky flask. Martin told Huff that he and his roommates had a half-keg of beer back at the house. Huff agreed to stop by.
At the two-story house, about 25 people were listening to music, watching TV, drinking beer, or smoking marijuana in the basement. The atmosphere was mellow, with most people chilling out from an evening of dancing. A few chatted with Huff, although a few attendees noticed that the 6-foot, 5-inch 280-pound, 28-year-old in a green sweatshirt seemed out of place amongst the ravers. But Huff was cordial, and mostly quiet.
By sunrise, a few revelers had left the house and others had fallen asleep on beds or couches. Some continued to party and no one noticed Huff as he walked out the door and returned to his truck, which was parked nearby. Once there, Huff retrieved a 12-gauge shotgun, a 40-caliber handgun, and more than 300 rounds of ammunition. On the way back to the house, he stopped to spray-paint the word “NOW” on the sidewalk, and on the steps of a neighboring home.
The six people Huff killed (along with himself) are:
- Melissa Moore, 14
- Suzanne Thorne, 15
- Justin “Sushi” Schwartz, 22
- Christopher “Deacon” Williamson, 21
- Jeremy Martin, 26
- Jason Travers, 32
It’s heartbreaking thinking of it. One thing that has always stuck with me is the subtitle of a piece the Stranger wrote about Huff: “Kyle Huff Never Found a Place to Fit In. Last Saturday Morning He Murdered Six People Who Had.” It’s a tragedy all around and I don’t know what more to say.
For further reading:
