On the evening of January 27, 2017, 37-year-old Christale Careaga was found shot to death in her Bremerton, Washington, home after firefighters responding to a house fire discovered multiple victims. Also killed were her husband John Careaga, found days later in his burned pickup truck, and two teenage boys in the home, her 16-year-old son Johnathon Higgins and her 16-year-old stepson Hunter Schaap; all three had been shot. Hunter Schaap managed to place a 911 call during the attack, pleading for help and saying his family was dead.

Investigators early on believed the killings were not random and that John Careaga was the primary target. Detectives uncovered evidence that John Careaga had been involved in selling cocaine, and probes into possible motives focused on disputes over drugs and money. A person of interest identified in the investigation was Danie Kelly Jr., who was linked to the Bandidos motorcycle club.

What remains unclear to the public is who planned and carried out the attack and the full sequence of events inside the home that night. Anyone with information about the Careaga family, their business Juanito’s Taqueria, or contacts connected to the Bandidos in the area is asked to come forward.