17-year-old boy arrested for murder of 2-year-old in Federal Way IHOP parking lot

FEDERAL WAY, Washington – According to the Federal Way Police Department (FWPD), a 17-year-old boy was arrested for first-degree murder, six months after a 2-year-old child was fatally shot in an IHOP parking lot.

The toddler, Synsyr Lewis, was struck by a bullet after the child's father and another person exchanged gunfire April 4 outside the IHOP on the 100 block of Southwest Campus Drive in Federal Way. The child later died at Harborview Medical Center.

The King County Medical Examiner's Office classified the death as a homicide and police said the suspect remained at large after the shooting.

Investigators arrested the boy at his Federal Way residence on Oct. 2 after a months-long investigation, FWPD Commander Kyle Buchanan said in a news release.

Buchanan said the boy, who was 16 at the time of the shooting, was booked into the King County Children and Family Justice Center and is expected to be charged as an adult.

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“This was a heartbreaking case for our entire community, and we are grateful for law enforcement’s tireless efforts to bring this suspect to justice,” said Federal Way Mayor Jim Ferrell. “We will not tolerate violence that endangers our children, and we remain fully committed to making Federal Way a safer place for everyone.”

“This tragic case has deeply affected our community, and I am grateful for the tireless efforts of our investigators who worked tirelessly to solve the case,” said FWPD Police Chief Andy Hwang. “Today we can assure the family and the public that justice will be served. We remain committed to holding those responsible for such senseless violence accountable.”

What does Washington state law say about juveniles being tried as adults?

In rare cases, the prosecutor must be able to demonstrate that it is in the best interest of the juvenile and the public to move the case to adult court.

The process for transferring a case from juvenile court to adult court is at the discretion of the denial. It is a hearing in which a prosecutor declines juvenile justice. The judge must review the case and consider the eight Kent factors. If the judge denies juvenile court jurisdiction for the case, it will be referred to adult court.

The 1966 Supreme Court case Kent v. United States established due process requirements for juvenile cases. The Kent factors are standards for evaluating the crime committed and the young person.

Kent factors include:

• Heaviness
• Manners committed
• people or property
• Merits
• Adult co-suspects
• Sophisticated and sophisticated
• Criminal history and contacts
• Prospect of rehabilitation vs. protection

There are cases where some juveniles are automatically tried as adults. Under state law, if a juvenile is 16 or 17 years old at the time of the offense and is charged with a violent offense as defined by the court and the juvenile has a criminal history of prior violent offenses or first-degree rape, they are automatically considered a child Adults brought to trial.

If a juvenile is charged as an adult, he or she will continue to be housed in juvenile detention and have access to bail.

Washington state law focuses on reducing recidivism rates among juveniles. The law aims to limit the negative impact of prosecuting a juvenile in adult court and placing him in an adult prison. Under state law, a juvenile who commits a crime before age 18 and is convicted in adult court can serve his or her sentence in juvenile prison until age 25.