SEATTLE — The family of the teen who was shot and killed at Seattle's Ingraham High School in November 2022 filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the school district this week.
On Nov. 8, 2022, 17-year-old Ebenezer Haile was shot and killed by another student.
Haile's family filed the wrongful death lawsuit Tuesday in King County Superior Court alleging Seattle Public Schools' (SPS) supervision of the shooter was "grossly inadequate."
The lawsuit said school staff "failed to take reasonable, adequate steps to intervene" when the shooter was acting "agitated and aggressive” on the day of the shooting and that they "should have known that violence was brewing."
The lawsuit also said the shooter's "proclivity for guns, weapons, and threats towards other students was known" and detailed an incident in October 2022 where he had been caught in possession of a gun and long-blade knife on school property.
Why he "was allowed to attend school on November 8, 2022, is a question that SPS has to answer," the lawsuit said.
The suit said any awarded damages would be determined at trial.
On Nov. 8, 2022, police were called to Ingraham High School around 9:55 a.m. for reports of a shooting. Callers said they heard multiple gunshots from within the school, with some saying they were afraid it was an "active shooter," according to court documents.
When police arrived, they found Haile injured in a hallway of the high school. Officers provided aid until medics were able to take the victim from the scene. Haile died from his injuries soon after. Investigators later learned he had been shot five times.
The two suspects were identified through witness reports and surveillance video and were arrested.
The 14-year-old student pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, first-degree assault and unlawful possession of a firearm in June. The court sentenced him to be incarcerated with the Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration until his 21st birthday and no earlier. After that, he will become eligible for two years of parole.
A 15-year-old who was also charged in the shooting pleaded guilty in 2023 to unlawful possession of a firearm and rendering criminal assistance. The teen's sentence was 30 days in detention, 48 hours of community service, and 12 months of community supervision.