The Capitol Hill massacre house

This is the Capitol Hill massacre house.

It is located at 2112 East Republican Street in Seattle, Washington.

On the morning of March 25th, 2006, a gunman named Kyle Aaron Huff walked up to this house and opened fire at a rave after-party.

Suzanne Thorne (15), Melissa "China Doll" Moore (14), Christopher Williamson (21), Justin Schwartz (22), Jason Travers (32), and Jeremy Martin (26) were all killed during the shooting.

Motive

Initially, the police struggled to determine a motive. However, one month later, a handwritten letter that appeared to be written by Huff was discovered in a dumpster near his home.

The letter indicated that he had a peculiar hatred for ravers and their lifestyles, which he described as "too disturbing to ignore." He also claimed they were trying to create a "world of sex."

In the weeks leading up to the incident, Huff searched for information on how to attend a rave.

On February 1st, 2006, a person with the email [email protected] left the following comment on a rave-related message board:

"Hey, I've never been to a rave in Seattle and was wondering if anyone could tell me when one is coming up. It's the 1st of February 2006 right now."

Huff wasn't a fan of electronic music, as he was an aspiring drummer who preferred heavy metal.

Shooting

The day before the shooting, Huff filled his truck with various weapons. These included a Bushmaster XM15 E2S rifle, a machete, a Winchester Defender shotgun, a .40-caliber Ruger semi-automatic handgun, and a baseball bat.

That night, he attended a zombie-themed dance event called Better Off Undead, which was held at the Capitol Hill Arts Center on 12th Avenue. Although this event may have been his initial target, security was too tight for him to sneak any weapons into the venue.

While he was at the event, he met a group of people who invited him back to an after-party at this house on East Republican Street.

At the time, it was a rental property. Roughly 20-30 people attended the party, as the residence was just one mile away.

Huff was reportedly pleasant at the party. Although he was quiet and seemed slightly on edge, he showed no signs of hostility toward anyone.

However, at around 7 a.m., he left and walked to his truck, which he had parked nearby. After grabbing a shotgun and a handgun, he returned to the house.

As he was walking along the sidewalk, he stopped for a few seconds to spray-paint the word "NOW" on the ground.

Once he reached the residence, he opened fire on a group of people who were sitting outside. He then forced his way inside the house, where he spent the next few minutes searching for targets.

At one point, he reportedly taunted his victims and said, "There's plenty for everyone."

Partygoers hid in locked rooms and called 911. Consequently, he began shooting through the doors.

Not long after, a nearby patrol officer heard the gunfire and responded to the scene. While he was aiding one of the injured victims outside, Huff suddenly exited the house and began walking down the steps.

When the officer shouted at him to drop his weapons, Huff immediately put the shotgun to his head and committed suicide.

Kyle Aaron Huff

Huff was from Whitefish, Montana. He moved to Seattle in 2001. At the time of the shooting, he was working as a pizza delivery man.

Friends from his hometown described him as a "gentle giant" who was quiet, friendly, and thoughtful. However, he also got involved in minor crimes.

Kyle had a twin named Kane, with whom he was very close. The pair had a small circle of friends and mostly kept to themselves in school. They did not get into trouble, take part in sports, or join any organizations.

Their former principal had trouble recalling them because their school years were largely unremarkable.

Those who remembered the brothers said that they used to wear trench coats and heavy metal t-shirts.

In 2000, Kyle was charged with a felony after he shot at a statue of a moose that had been installed as part of a public arts project. He later agreed to plead guilty to a reduced misdemeanor mischief charge.

The Huff twins moved to Seattle in 2001.

Although their hometown friends described them as quiet and friendly, they did get into a bar fight in May 2004.

Victims

The victims were Suzanne Thorne (15), Melissa Moore (14), Christopher Williamson (21), Justin Schwartz (22), Jason Travers (32), and Jeremy Martin (26).

On the night before the incident, they had all attended Better Off Undead, a zombie-themed dance event for all ages.

Thorne (15) was described as a gentle, compassionate girl who was devoted to peace and nature. The teenager aspired to start a non-violent movement to end terrorism and dreamed of opening a "no-kill" animal rescue shelter.

Moore was a 14-year-old from Milton, Pierce County, who went by the nickname "China Doll." In the months preceding her murder, she had started attending raves in Seattle with some of her older friends. Her parents allowed her to go as long as she agreed to return home by 3 a.m.

Williamson was an up-and-coming DJ who called himself Deacon 808. This was supposed to be his last rave. Although the 21-year-old loved electronic music, he was finding it increasingly difficult to stay away from drugs. Consequently, he was planning to take a break from the scene and focus on turning his life around.

Schwartz (22) was a warm, energetic, humorous, and fun-loving free spirit who had discovered the techno scene after spending time at military school and in the Navy.

Friends and family of Travers (32) said that he was a gentle man and a good listener. He made those around him feel valued and was constantly worrying about others.

Martin (26) was a DJ who had a magnetic personality. He was a creative, curious, and hard-working individual with diverse interests ranging from fine wine to electronic music.