Woman, 43, killed in her sleep and brother in critical condition after father's shooting rampage
'I just committed a father's worst sin': Man 'shoots dead daughter, 43, and severely wounded son, 46, in their beds as grandchildren slept just feet away' then calls 911 to confess
- Shootings happened at a house in Puyallup, Washington, on Sunday
- Father, Michael League, 69, called 911 at 3.30am on Sunday to tell police what had happened
- His daughter, Danielle Faucett, 43, died in at Tacoma General Hospital from gunshot wound
- Man's 46-year-old son, Dennis League, is still alive but said to be in 'grave condition'
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A Washington state father killed his adult daughter and left his son fighting for life after shooting them both in the head as they slept 'to get rid of their demons.'
Michael League, 69, shot Danielle Faucett, 43, and Dennis League, 46, at around 3:30 a.m. on Sunday morning at his house in Puyallup, while his grandchildren slept just feet away.
He father then called 911 and confessed to shooting his children before threatening to take his own life.
On the heart-breaking call, League said, crying: 'I just committed a father's worst sin. I just shot my daughter in the head and my son in the head. I had to put them out of their misery and get rid of their demons. I'm going to have to shoot myself.'
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'Killer' dad: Michael League, pictured, called 911 and confessed to killing his daughter and shooting his son on Sunday morning as they slept
He went on to tell the dispatcher that drugs had plagued his family.
'It's all because of alcohol and drugs. It tore our family apart,' he said on the call.
League explained that he and his wife went away for a few days and when they returned, they found their daughter allegedly tried to attack her brother with a knife.
'My wife was about to have a nervous breakdown,' he said. 'I want to die.'
Deputy Chief Dave McDonald said officers rushed to the scene and surrounded the home while dispatchers talked the man into putting his gun down. He then surrendered moments later and police took him into custody.
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ShareOfficers entered the home and found two gravely wounded victims in different rooms of the house, one upstairs and one downstairs.
Both suffered gunshots to the head and appear to have been shot in their sleep, McDonald said.
The victims were rushed by Central Pierce Fire & Rescue medics to Tacoma General Hospital, where Faucett died of her injuries within hours of the shooting and her brother remains fighting for his life. He is not expected to survive.
Home: The father called 911 and told a dispatcher he had just shot his children before threatening to take his own life at his home, pictured
Grim discovery: Officers entered the home, pictured, and found the two gravely wounded victims in different rooms, one upstairs and one downstairs
Also in the home were two boys, ages 6 and 7, as well as Michael League's wife, all of whom were unharmed and taken from the property.
Police believe the man shot is the father of the young children.
According to the Tacoma News Tribune, League's wife told investigators that her adult children living were living with them and that it had been causing her and her husband a lot of stress. She said the son has an alcohol problem and their daughter is schizophrenic
League confessed to shooting his children with a .22-caliber pistol and told police he used a pillow to muffle the sound of the gunfire so his wife and two grandchildren wouldn't wake up, according to court records.
Police have responded several times to the home for domestic violence-related disputes, McDonald said.
Those incidents always involved disputes between adult family members, such as the children and the grandparents.
'I know they were frustrated,' McDonald said about the grandparents.
A neighbor said police have responded before to deal with the couple's son.
Grandkids: Also in the home were two boys, ages 6 and 7, as well as Michael League's wife, all of whom were unharmed and taken from the property
Arraigned: Michael League, pictured left from behind, was arraigned in Pierce County Superior Court on Monday
'It was common to hear fighting with the son,' said the neighbor, Beau Nye.
He said two young boys live at the house with the grandparents.
'They were playing all day yesterday,' Nye said of the boys. 'Chasing each other and laughing. They were having a great time.'
League was charged with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder at an arraignment on Monday.
Sitting in a wheelchair and wearing a padded prison smock reserved for suicidal inmates, the 69-year-old hung his head and cried in court as the charges were read.
He has pleaded not guilty. Court Commissioner Meagan Foley ordered League jailed in lieu of $2 million bail.
Raymond McArthur, a friend of League's, described the 69-year-old as 'a broken man' after Monday's arraignment.
'That's not the friend I know,' he told reporters outside court. 'Something snapped.'
VIDEO US man arrested after his daughter is shot dead and son wounded
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