LACEY, Wash. (KOMO) – Two Washington state parents face charges after several bystanders intervened to stop a father from strangling his 17-year-old daughter in front of a high school. Authorities say the incident was a possible attempted “honour killing”.

Josh Wagner was driving with his family near Timberline High School in Lacey on Oct. 18 when he noticed what he thought was a group of kids fighting. But when he jumped in to break up the fight, he realized it was a man strangling a young girl.

“So, (I) pulled over to stop the juveniles and realized it was an adult male who had put a juvenile in a headlock and subdued him until the police arrived,” Wagner said. “It was pretty frustrating. I didn’t know what was happening or why. All the kids were screaming and yelling.”

Court records state that İhsan Ali choked his 17-year-old daughter “so much so that she lost consciousness” as her boyfriend and other students tried to pull her away. The teen’s mother, Zahraa Ali, also grabbed him and strangled him, according to court documents.

Investigators said the teen’s father also punched her boyfriend.

Victor Barnes’ son was one of the students who tried to stop the shooting and separate the 17-year-old from his family.

“He proceeded to lose consciousness and punch my son in the face,” Barnes said.

The victim eventually escaped and ran into the school screaming, “My dad was trying to kill me.” This led to quarantine as school staff prevented his parents from reaching him.

According to court records, it is stated that the incident may be related to a possible “honour killing”. The 17-year-old told investigators that her father had recently threatened her after she refused to travel to another country for an arranged marriage with an older man.

Barnes said that the problems with the Alis have been going on for months, and that a previous incident forced them to obtain a temporary protection order against Zahraa Ali. The mother was also prohibited from setting foot on school property, court records state.

“There are a lot of these stories. Most of these stories are here. Some cannot be heard for some reason. I just want people to be aware that these stories exist,” Barnes said.

The parents face criminal charges including assault and attempted kidnapping. They will appear in court next Wednesday.

The victim’s school helped him find a safe place to stay, according to court records.

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