{{Short description|2006 mass shooting in Seattle, Washington, US}} {{Use American English|date=December 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2012}} {{Infobox civilian attack | title = Capitol Hill massacre | image = | caption = Kyle Aaron Huff | location = Seattle, Washington, U.S. | coordinates = | date = {{start date and age|2006|3|25}} | time = 7:00 a.m. | timezone = PST | type = {{hlist| Mass shooting| murder-suicide| mass murder}} | fatalities = 7 (including the perpetrator) | injuries = 2 | perpetrator = Kyle Aaron Huff | motive = Unknown | weapons = * Winchester 1300 Defender 12-gauge pump-action shotgun * Ruger P944 .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol * Bushmaster XM15 E2S (unused)<ref name="Seattle-Post Intelligencer 2006"/> }}
The '''Capitol Hill massacre''' was a mass murder committed by 28-year-old Kyle Aaron Huff in the eastern part of Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood. On the morning of March 25, 2006, Huff entered a rave after-party and opened fire, killing six and wounding two. He then killed himself as he was being confronted by police on the front porch of 2112 E. Republican Street.
==Timeline==
===Prior to the shooting=== In a panel released by the Seattle Police Department headed by criminologist, James Alan Fox of Northeastern University, it was suggested Huff had been planning the shooting as early as February. He was identified sitting in his truck by employees of Studio Seven studying the patrons coming and going from events at the venue. Upon a review of his internet search history, it was revealed that he frequently searched for upcoming rave events.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2006-10-09 |title=Epilogue to a Tragedy |url=https://www.seattleweekly.com/news/epilogue-to-a-tragedy/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200514174823/https://www.seattleweekly.com/news/epilogue-to-a-tragedy/ |archive-date=May 14, 2020 |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=Seattle Weekly |language=en-US}}</ref>
On the evening of March 24, 2006, a "Better Off Undead" event was held at the Capitol Hill Arts Center (CHAC), which reported a maximum attendance of 350 throughout the evening. By nearly all accounts, CHAC itself had ample security at the event, with more than 20 security personnel on duty.<ref name="Galloway">Angela Galloway and D. Parvaz, [https://archive.today/20130202054629/http://www.seattlepi.com/local/264855_shootdance30.html No rave crackdown coming], ''Seattle Post-Intelligencer'', March 30, 2006. Retrieved April 7, 2006.</ref><ref name="Feit-Savage">Josh Feit and Dan Savage, [http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=31362 Raving Mad] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160413173620/http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=31362 |date=April 13, 2016 }}, ''The Stranger'', Mar 30 – Apr 5, 2006. Retrieved April 7, 2006.</ref> At the event, Huff was invited to attend an after-party at a private residence about a mile away. Sometime between 4:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. on March 25, Huff left the event to attend the after-party. A last-minute invitee, Huff did not personally know anyone at the after-party. He was quiet but spoke pleasantly with everyone as the after-party progressed. Nobody recalled him leaving, and there was no altercation or belligerent behavior exhibited by Huff.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Egan |first=Timothy |date=2006-06-25 |title=After 7 Deaths, Digging for an Explanation |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/25/us/25fox.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240106030201/https://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/25/us/25fox.html |archive-date=January 6, 2024 |access-date=2025-05-12 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
===Shooting=== Huff left the house at 7:00 a.m. and returned to his large truck, parked nearby.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2006-03-27 |title=No Warnings On Seattle Shooter - CBS News |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/no-warnings-on-seattle-shooter/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250512181537/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/no-warnings-on-seattle-shooter/ |archive-date=May 12, 2025 |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=CBS News}}</ref> From the truck, he retrieved a 12-gauge Winchester 1300 Defender pump-action shotgun with a pistol grip and a .40-caliber Ruger P944 semi-automatic handgun, and several bandoliers with more than 300 rounds of ammunition for the guns.<ref name=arsenal>On the arsenal used: Tracy Johnson and Angela Galloway, [http://www.seattlepi.com/local/264597_huffarsenal28.html Police seized Huff's guns once]{{dead link|date=November 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, ''Seattle Post-Intelligencer'', March 28, 2006. Retrieved July 24, 2006.</ref> On his way back to the after-party, he spray-painted the word "NOW" on the sidewalk and on the steps of a neighboring home. Upon arrival, he shot five victims who were outside talking: two on the steps, the others on the porch. People inside tried to hold the front door of the house shut, but Huff forced his way in through the door and shot three more people on the first floor.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kyle Huff shoots and kills six people at a rave afterparty in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood on March 25, 2006. - HistoryLink.org |url=https://www.historylink.org/File/8138 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250515025700/https://www.historylink.org/File/8138 |archive-date=May 15, 2025 |access-date=2025-05-15 |website=HistoryLink.org<!-- The free online encyclopedia of Washington state history -->}}</ref>
During the shooting, Huff allegedly stated "There's plenty for everyone" or something similar.<ref>{{cite news |date=March 27, 2006 |title='There's plenty for everyone,' man said during deadly spree |url=https://www.denverpost.com/2006/03/27/theres-plenty-for-everyone-man-said-during-deadly-spree/ |access-date=December 27, 2025 |work=The Denver Post |agency=Associated Press}}</ref><ref>Maria Newman, [https://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/27/national/seattle-gunman-plannedattack-police-say.html Seattle Gunman PlannedAttack, Police Say] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330052600/https://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/27/national/seattle-gunman-plannedattack-police-say.html |date=March 30, 2019 }}, ''The New York Times'', March 27, 2006. Retrieved March 29, 2019.</ref> On the second floor, he fired twice through the locked door of a bathroom where a couple had taken refuge inside the bathtub; neither person was hit.<ref>{{Cite news |title=911 tapes reveal terror, confusion during killings |url=https://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/911-tapes-reveal-terror-confusion-during-killings-1199935.php |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250512164847/https://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/911-tapes-reveal-terror-confusion-during-killings-1199935.php |archive-date=May 12, 2025}}</ref> Five victims died at the scene, and three victims who were badly injured during the shooting were taken to Harborview Medical Center, one of whom died there.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2006-03-26 |title=Alleged killer of 6 called 'respectful' |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/alleged-killer-of-6-called-respectful/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250512182039/https://www.heraldnet.com/news/alleged-killer-of-6-called-respectful/ |archive-date=May 12, 2025 |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=HeraldNet.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=North Seattle man is suspected shooter {{!}} The Seattle Times |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20060326/webshooting26/north-seattle-man-is-suspected-shooter |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250512181952/https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20060326/webshooting26/north-seattle-man-is-suspected-shooter |archive-date=May 12, 2025 |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=archive.seattletimes.com}}</ref> The shooting inside the house lasted for five minutes, although Huff reportedly stopped shooting people and started wandering the house, walking past numerous people without shooting at them.<ref>{{Cite web |title='It was just too much effort' |url=https://www.lmtribune.com/northwest/it-was-just-too-much-effort-c526d7dc |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250514233238/https://www.lmtribune.com/northwest/it-was-just-too-much-effort-c526d7dc |archive-date=May 14, 2025 |access-date=2025-05-14 |website=The Lewiston Tribune |language=en}}</ref> A patrol officer nearby, Steve Leonard, heard the shots and headed to the scene, getting the address from multiple 911 dispatches. When he got to the house, he encountered an injured victim and immediately got between the victim and the house, as Huff was coming down the steps. Before the officer could complete his demand that Huff drop his weapon, Huff placed the gun in his mouth and shot himself through the head.<ref>Tom Francis, [https://slog.thestranger.com/2006/03/he_didnt_show_a “He didn’t show a lot of emotion.”] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120510090558/http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/03/he_didnt_show_a |date=May 10, 2012 }} on SLOG, ''The Stranger's'' blog, March 25, 2006. Retrieved July 24, 2006.</ref><ref>Sam Skolnik, [http://www.seattlepi.com/local/264412_shoottimeline26ww.html Capitol Hill massacre: A timeline of events]{{dead link|date=November 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, ''Seattle Post-Intelligencer'', March 26, 2006. Retrieved July 24, 2006.</ref> He fired his shotgun at least 9 times, including his final shot, and he fired his pistol at least 5 times. The shotgun was reloaded twice and the handgun was reloaded once. He continuously chambered rounds during the attack, causing his weapons to eject live rounds across the crime scene.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Fox |first=James Alan |last2=Burgess |first2=Ann W. |last3=Levin |first3=Jack |last4=Wong |first4=Marleen |last5=Burgess |first5=Allen G. |date=2007-05-01 |title=Capitol Hill Mass Murder Case |url=https://triggered.edina.clockss.org/ServeContent?rft_id=info:doi/10.1093/brief-treatment/mhm005 |journal=Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention |volume=7 |issue=2 |pages=127 |doi=10.1093/brief-treatment/mhm005 |issn=1474-3310 |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250513024502/https://triggered.edina.clockss.org/ServeContent?rft_id=info:doi/10.1093/brief-treatment/mhm005 |archive-date=May 13, 2025}}</ref>
===Aftermath=== Following the shooting, police found that Huff's truck contained a .223-caliber Bushmaster XM15 E2S semi-automatic rifle,<ref name="arsenal"/> another handgun, several more boxes of ammunition, a baseball bat, and a machete. On the afternoon of March 25, the Seattle Police Department served a search warrant on the North Seattle apartment that Huff shared with his identical twin brother, Kane, where they found more guns and ammunition. During the search, Huff's brother returned home, unaware of what had happened. He was taken into custody, questioned, then later released.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Seattle killer had attended earlier rave party |url=https://www.lmtribune.com/northwest/seattle-killer-had-attended-earlier-rave-party-cccd16bd |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250512030945/https://www.lmtribune.com/northwest/seattle-killer-had-attended-earlier-rave-party-cccd16bd |archive-date=May 12, 2025 |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=The Lewiston Tribune |language=en}}</ref>
Many who attended the Capitol Hill Arts Center event learned of the shooting the next morning via local "rave" online forums, some of which included first-hand accounts from survivors.<ref>Michelle Nicolosi, [http://www.seattlepi.com/default/article/Ravers-flock-to-Web-for-news-1199446.php Ravers flock to Web for news: Many fear their friends are among shooting victims] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303215144/http://www.seattlepi.com/default/article/Ravers-flock-to-Web-for-news-1199446.php |date=March 3, 2016 }}, ''Seattle Post-Intelligencer'', March 24, 2006. Retrieved April 8, 2006.</ref> On March 28, at the site of the mass murder, the Church Council of Greater Seattle, led by Reverend Sanford Brown and other local clergy, held an interfaith prayer service.<ref>KING-TV News, March 28, 2006, [http://www.king5.com/topstories/stories/NW_032706WABshootings_investigationJK.680c3f23.html "Killer: 'plenty for everyone'"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927042239/http://www.king5.com/topstories/stories/NW_032706WABshootings_investigationJK.680c3f23.html |date=September 27, 2007 }}</ref> The service was attended by more than 500 people. One of the wounded victims underwent numerous surgeries, and it was deemed too dangerous to remove the remaining bullet fragments in his arm.<ref>{{Cite web |title=kian {{!}} Seattle photographer Joshua Trujillo |url=https://www.joshuatrujillo.com/image/I0000zsxEV5niyjk |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250512163807/https://www.joshuatrujillo.com/image/I0000zsxEV5niyjk |archive-date=May 12, 2025 |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=JoshuaTrujillo.com}}</ref>
==Victims== ; Deceased thumb|Jeremy Martin, one of the six victims *Melissa "China Doll" Moore, 14<ref>Benjamin J. Romano, [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002893498_webmoore27.html Melissa Moore, 14, remembered as loving and generous] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120723001915/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002893498_webmoore27.html |date=July 23, 2012 }}, ''Seattle Times'', March 28, 2006. Retrieved April 8, 2006.</ref> *Suzanne Thorne, 15<ref>Debera Carleton Harrell, [https://archive.today/20120909004908/http://www.seattlepi.com/local/264543_suzanne28.html Suzanne Thorne, 15: A gregarious teen who liked music, partying], ''Seattle Post-Intelligencer'', March 28, 2006. Retrieved April 8, 2006.</ref> *Justin "Sushi" Schwartz, 22<ref>Brad Wong, [http://www.seattlepi.com/default/article/Justin-Schwartz-22-Ravers-remember-his-1199504.php Justin Schwartz, 22: Ravers remember his 'uplifting spirit'] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303224153/http://www.seattlepi.com/default/article/Justin-Schwartz-22-Ravers-remember-his-1199504.php |date=March 3, 2016 }}, ''Seattle Post-Intelligencer'', March 26, 2006. Retrieved April 8, 2006.</ref><ref>David Postman and Warren Cornwall, [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002893111_webschwartz27.html Justin Schwartz remembered: "He was just a warm, energetic, fun-loving person"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120709172756/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002893111_webschwartz27.html |date=July 9, 2012 }}, ''Seattle Times'', March 28, 2006. Retrieved April 8, 2006.</ref><ref>[http://www.myspace.com/sushiismyname Sushi] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060412225721/http://www.myspace.com/sushiismyname |date=April 12, 2006 }} on MySpace</ref> *Christopher "Deacon" Williamson, 21<ref>David Postman, [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002891731_victims27m.html Christopher Williamson remembered as a budding DJ] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060525222118/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002891731_victims27m.html |date=May 25, 2006 }}, ''Seattle Times'', March 28, 2006. Retrieved April 8, 2006.</ref><ref>[https://archive.today/20120708081059/http://deacon808.livejournal.com/ Deacon808] on LiveJournal.</ref><ref>[http://www.myspace.com/deacon808 Deacon808] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161224105431/http://www.myspace.com/deacon808 |date=December 24, 2016 }} on MySpace.</ref> *Jeremy Martin, 26<ref>Christine Willmsen, Jack Broom and Sonia Krishnan, [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002890294_victims26m.html Jeremy Martin known for his curiosity, hard work] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120524232139/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002890294_victims26m.html |date=May 24, 2012 }}, ''Seattle Times'', March 28, 2006. Retrieved April 8, 2006.</ref> *Jason Travers, 32<ref>Emily Heffter and Christine Willmsen, [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002893143_webtraversprofile27.html Jason Travers remembered as gentle man, good listener] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060407064144/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002893143_webtraversprofile27.html |date=April 7, 2006 }}, ''Seattle Times'', March 28, 2006. Retrieved April 8, 2006.</ref>
; Injured *Kian Movasagi, 18<ref>{{cite news |last1=Trujillo |first1=Joshua |title=Kian Movasagi, Survivor |url=https://blog.seattlepi.com/photo/2007/02/15/kian-movasagi-survivor/ |access-date=August 22, 2018 |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer |date=February 15, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180822181424/https://blog.seattlepi.com/photo/2007/02/15/kian-movasagi-survivor/ |archive-date=August 22, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> *One unidentified teenager
==Perpetrator== '''Kyle Aaron Huff''' (September 22, 1977 – March 25, 2006) was identified as the shooter in the morning massacre. His motive remains unknown. Huff claimed to have attended The Art Institute of Seattle and North Seattle Community College, although neither institution has records of him attending. Huff's employment history consisted exclusively of pizza delivery jobs.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sanders |first=Eli |title=Dead Quiet |url=https://www.thestranger.com/features/2006/03/30/31361/dead-quiet |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250512190039/https://www.thestranger.com/features/2006/03/30/31361/dead-quiet |archive-date=May 12, 2025 |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=The Stranger |language=en}}</ref> Huff's parents divorced in January 1992 or before.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kyle Huff's journey {{!}} The Seattle Times |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20060402/huff02m/kyle-huffs-journey |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250515023313/https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20060402/huff02m/kyle-huffs-journey |archive-date=May 15, 2025 |access-date=2025-05-15 |website=archive.seattletimes.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=sources |first=From official |last2=Reports |first2=Media |date=2006-10-09 |title=Evil Twin |url=https://www.seattleweekly.com/news/evil-twin/ |access-date=2025-05-15 |website=Seattle Weekly |language=en-US}}</ref> He graduated high school in 1996, where he was voted "least school-spirited".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Verhovek |first=Sam Howe |date=2006-03-30 |title=Police Look for Clues to What Fueled Seattle Killer's Rage |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-mar-30-na-huff30-story.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250514220958/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-mar-30-na-huff30-story.html |archive-date=May 14, 2025 |access-date=2025-05-14 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref>
Huff had previously been arrested in his hometown of Whitefish, Montana back in the summer of 2000, for destroying a public arts project and was charged with a felony. He shot up a statue of a moose that was part of an installation called "Moose on the Loose". He was described by residents there as a well-liked person with a minor history of delinquency. He moved to Seattle with his twin brother about five years before the shooting. He had little contact with police in Seattle, but was involved in a brawl at the Lobo Saloon in 2004.<ref>Phuong Le, Angela Galloway, and Mike Lewis, [https://archive.today/20130201231511/http://www.seattlepi.com/local/264590_huff28.html Killer was a 'gentle giant,' 'quick to anger], ''Seattle Post-Intelligencer'', March 28, 2006. Retrieved April 8, 2006.</ref>
thumb|Huff's weapons and ammunition<ref name="Seattle-Post Intelligencer 2006">{{cite news |date=2006 |title=Killer's arsenal<!-- tumblr11.gif - Click to see more photos on ServImg --> |url=https://servimg.com/view/20616366/32 |access-date=December 27, 2025 |work=Seattle-Post Intelligencer |via=Servimg}}</ref> The weapons used were purchased legally at sporting goods stores in Kalispell, Montana.<ref>Jennifer Sullivan and Mike Carter, [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002893027_webshooter27.html Two of Capitol Hill killer's victims were teenage girls] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060427160756/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002893027_webshooter27.html |date=April 27, 2006 }}, ''Seattle Times'', March 28, 2006. Retrieved April 8, 2006.</ref> They were seized by the police in Whitefish after he pleaded guilty to a reduced misdemeanor mischief charge in the moose incident. They were returned after he paid restitution and a fine. The original felony charge for destroying the art would have prohibited him from legally owning firearms.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2006-03-28 |title=The price a culture pays for its love of the gun |url=https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/the-price-a-culture-pays-for-its-love-of-the-gun-1199602.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030162710/https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/The-price-a-culture-pays-for-its-love-of-the-gun-1199602.php |archive-date=October 30, 2020 |access-date=2025-05-13 |work=seattlepi.com |language=en-US |url-status=live }}</ref>
In 2002, a man in Whitefish, who was high school friends with Huff, killed his own parents before committing suicide. Investigators believe that event may have given Huff a model for his own attack.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2006-07-18 |title=Killer could have shot more |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2006/jul/18/killer-could-have-shot-more/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250515021450/https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2006/jul/18/killer-could-have-shot-more/ |archive-date=May 15, 2025 |access-date=2025-05-15 |website=Spokesman.com |language=en}}</ref> Huff was not well known in Seattle's rave scene. Very few people in the scene knew him or interacted with him. On February 1, 2006, someone with the email address kylehuff23@hotmail.com asked on an internet message board run by local raver Groovinkim when the next rave was because he'd never been to one.<ref>[http://books.dreambook.com/groovinkim/seattleraves.html kim's seattle raves page] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060330025359/http://books.dreambook.com/groovinkim/seattleraves.html |date=March 30, 2006 }}. Retrieved April 8, 2006.</ref> Evidentially, this may not be the perpetrator despite the resemblance of name due to the fact that the same user made a follow-up comment later in April, after the attack and Huff's suicide. <ref>[http://books.dreambook.com/groovinkim/seattleraves.html kim's seattle raves page] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060417212231/http://books.dreambook.com/groovinkim/seattleraves.html |date=April 17, 2006 }}. Retrieved March 25, 2026.</ref>
==Motive== A possible window into the killer's motives appeared nearly a month after the event. An apartment manager of a complex about a mile from Huff's residence called police about a possible bomb he found while inspecting dumpsters, although that bomb turned out to be just modeling clay and wires. In the investigation afterwards, police found a handwritten note in the dumpster apparently written by Huff. On June 6, the police released the letter, not yet authenticated, to the media.<ref>Claudia Rowe, [https://archive.today/20120911082345/http://www.seattlepi.com/local/273005_letter07.html Letter rages at ravers' lifestyle], ''Seattle P-I'', June 7, 2006.</ref> A week later, the Washington State Patrol's Crime Lab concluded that it was "highly probable" that the letter was authentic. Arguments in favor of authenticity included the fact that the letter was written on stationery from the apartment complex where the Huff brothers lived and matched several known samples of the killer's writing, according to crime lab experts.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Crime lab says it is "highly probable" that Huff wrote note {{!}} The Seattle Times |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20060614/huff14m/crime-lab-says-it-is-highly-probable-that-huff-wrote-note |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250512190112/https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20060614/huff14m/crime-lab-says-it-is-highly-probable-that-huff-wrote-note |archive-date=May 12, 2025 |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=archive.seattletimes.com}}</ref> ''The Stranger'', an alternative weekly, earlier claimed that the handwriting on the letter appeared to be identical to samples from a job application of Huff's that the periodical had obtained.<ref>Thomas Francis, [http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=37331 Parting Shot] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161201091211/http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=37331 |date=December 1, 2016 }}, ''The Stranger'', Jun 1 – 7, 2006</ref>
The letter, dated two days before the killings, was specific in expressing the writer's anger at young ravers for their provocative lifestyle, particularly their sexual freedom, and said that the things they did and said were too disturbing for the writer to live with. Quotes from the letter include "I hope that you will find this letter after the fact. Don’t let the police or FBI keep you from haveing (''sic'') it, this is my last wish”, "Don’t kill yourself moron. That’s the last thing I would want to happen. I hate leaving you by yourself, but this is something I feel I have to do. My life would always feel incomplete otherwise", "They’re packed in there, groping each other, having sex", "I’ve got to do something about it. ... These people are screwing up the world", and "This hippy stuff has to end".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2006-06-14 |title=Seattle police: Letter likely from rave gunman |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna13306472 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250512190122/https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna13306472 |archive-date=May 12, 2025 |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=NBC News |language=en}}</ref> It ended with the quote "Now, kids, Now", reminiscent of the letters "NOW" that Huff spray painted during the massacre. Additionally, in the weeks leading up to the massacre, he had attempted to start dating a woman, sending her flowers and calling leaving her messages but she said he was 'not her type'.<ref name=":0" />
==Legacy== The Capitol Hill massacre was the worst mass killing in Seattle since the 1983 Wah Mee massacre in which 13 died.<ref>''Seattle Times'' staff, [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002890303_massacres26m.html Capitol Hill rampage worst since Wah Mee Massacre] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070808010516/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002890303_massacres26m.html |date=August 8, 2007 }}, ''Seattle Times'', March 26, 2006. Retrieved April 7, 2006.</ref> While Seattle and the Pacific Northwest in the past half-century have had numerous serial killers—most notoriously Ted Bundy, "Green River Killer" Gary Ridgway, and Robert Lee Yates—mass murder is not as common, although the area has had several of them.<ref>''Post-Intelligencer'' staff, [https://archive.today/20120911163917/http://www.seattlepi.com/local/109337_serial20.shtml Suspected or convicted serial killers in Washington], ''Seattle Post-Intelligencer''. Originally published February 20, 2003, updated several times. Retrieved April 7, 2006.</ref> In the wake of the killings, ''The Seattle Times'', invoking the drugs and alcohol the victims apparently enjoyed that night, immediately called for tighter regulation of the late-night activities of teenagers and young adults, and for the city's all-ages dance rules to be "thoroughly re-examined and re-tooled".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20060327/shooted27/soul-searching-after-capitol-hill-tragedy|title=Editorials & Opinion {{!}} Soul-searching after Capitol Hill tragedy|work=The Seattle Times|access-date=2016-11-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161201014136/http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20060327&slug=shooted27|archive-date=December 1, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20060329/danced29/protect-teens-with-new-dance-rules|title=Editorials & Opinion {{!}} Protect teens with new dance rules|work=The Seattle Times|access-date=2016-11-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161201014135/http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20060329&slug=danced29|archive-date=December 1, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> These views were opposed by ''The Stranger'', which published a response to the ''Times'' written by Josh Feit, the weekly's news editor, and its editor-in-chief Dan Savage, stating:<blockquote>Far from endangering kids, teen dances keep kids safe. If the young people hadn't been at a crowded public dance overseen by extensive security (19 guards were at CHAC on Saturday night) where no one got hurt, the kids would likely have been out at unchaperoned and completely unregulated house parties—not after the dance, ''but all night''. And, without a fat calendar of all-ages events, that's where they would be every weekend. Because without organized all-ages dances and live-music events, house parties and parking lots are all kids have.<ref name="Feit-Savage"/></blockquote>
The views predominating among the city's politicians and other leaders turned out to be closer to those of ''The Stranger'' than the ''Times''. As mayor Greg Nickels put it, "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."<ref name="Galloway"/> Several city council members spoke up against the "quick fix" mentality inherent in the ''Times'' editorial; council member Peter Steinbrueck added he was "really incredulous over young teenaged girls going out all night unsupervised and mixing with much older people", but didn't see that as an issue over the nature of the place where they had socialized. Sandra Williamson, mother of shooting victim Christopher "Deacon" 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."<ref name="Galloway"/> The ''Seattle Post-Intelligencer'' added that "even ... former City Attorney Mark Sidran", whom they described as "Seattle's best-known defender of underage dance restrictions", said: "Some tragedies defy any sort of rational response in terms of regulation because they're completely irrational events you can't really predict or prevent."<ref name="Galloway"/>
As it happens, the killings occurred only days before Mayor Nickels was to announce the city's support for the non-profit VERA project (which puts on all-ages shows) moving into a new location at Seattle Center,<ref>Megan Seling, [http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=31392 Underage] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121015200054/http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=31392 |date=October 15, 2012 }}, ''The Stranger'', Mar 30 – Apr 5, 2006. Retrieved April 8, 2006.</ref> so that at the time of the killings all-ages events were more than routinely on the minds of city leaders, and in a more than typically positive light. Four years earlier, Seattle repealed a rather extreme and limiting Teen Dance Ordinance (TDO), replacing it with the much more flexible All-ages Dance Ordinance (AADO).<ref>[http://www.ci.seattle.wa.us/mayor/issues/all_age.htm Council Passes Dance Ordinance] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061012035324/http://www.ci.seattle.wa.us/mayor/issues/all_age.htm |date=October 12, 2006 }}, August 12, 2002, on the Seattle Mayor's site. Retrieved April 8, 2006.</ref> In the course of the exchanges in the wake of the murders, musician and activist Ben Shroeter wrote that the AADO made possible legitimate, well-run dances, instead of the sometimes very drug-ridden underground events that had illegally occurred in the TDO era. Shroeter wrote, "The dangerous 'underground' rave has virtually disappeared in the Seattle area. I’d rather have my daughter at CHAC or VERA Project than in the beckoning custody of unregulated and lecherous slimeballs."<ref>Letter from Ben Shroeter, included in Josh Feit, [http://www.thestranger.com/blog/archives/2006/04/02-08.php#a005361 The Boy Who Cried Wolf?] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060411074728/http://www.thestranger.com/blog/archives/2006/04/02-08.php#a005361 |date=April 11, 2006 }}, on ''Slog'', ''The Stranger''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s blog. Retrieved April 8, 2006.</ref>
==In popular culture== The 2019 film ''Wallflower'' is loosely based around the incident.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6983908/|title = Wallflower (2019) - IMDb| website=IMDb }}</ref>
==See also== * 2012 Seattle café shootings * 2024 Florence shooting * List of rampage killers in the United States
==References== {{Reflist|30em}} {{coord|47.62334|-122.304043|format=dms|display=title}}
==External links== *[https://archive.today/20130415042812/http://www.jeremymartin.org/wp/ Jeremy Martin memorial] * Maureen O'Hagan and Christine Willmsen, [https://web.archive.org/web/20060411213959/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002921904_roommates10m.html House that once stood for fun now a darker blue], ''Seattle Times'', April 10, 2006. A follow-up article three weeks afterwards about the people who lived in the house (five out of six survived). * Sara Jean Green, [https://web.archive.org/web/20070311222725/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002901121_911tapes31m.html 911 calls from in house, outside reflected horror of killing spree], ''Seattle Times'', March 31, 2006. Includes links to audio of the 911 calls. * James Alan Fox, {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20060927195514/http://www.cityofseattle.net/police/Publications/Special/CapitolHillPanelReport.pdf Panel Report on the March 25, 2006 Capitol Hill Shooting]}}. July 17, 2006.
{{Mass shootings in the United States in the 2000s}}
Category:2006 in Seattle Category:2006 mass shootings in the United States Category:2006 murders in the United States Category:March 2006 crimes in the United States Category:Massacres in the United States Category:Mass shootings in Washington (state) Category:Massacres in 2006 Category:Suicides by firearm in Washington (state) Category:Murder–suicides in Washington (state) Category:2000s mass murders in the United States Category:Attacks on residential buildings in the United States Category:Attacks on buildings and structures in 2006 Category:Mass shootings involving shotguns in the United States