Teen dies after school shooting

ONE of the teenagers injured in Friday’s horror high school shooting has died, raising the number of fatalities to three. Gia Soriano, 14, died on Sunday, officials have confirmed, after a fellow student opened fire in a cafeteria at Marysville-Pilchuck High School, north of Seattle in Washington.
Another girl was killed during the incident, as was the shooter, Jaylen Fryberg, who died of a self-inflicted wound.

Three other students remain in hospital, two in a critical condition and one in a serious condition.
“We are devastated by this senseless tragedy. Gia is our beautiful daughter, and words cannot express how much we will miss her,” a statement from Soriano’s family read.
Earlier Sunday, parents and students gathered in a gymnasium at the school for a community meeting, with speakers urging support and prayers and tribal members playing drums and singing songs. Jaylen was from a prominent Tulalip Indian tribes family.
Young people hugged each other and cried and speakers urged people to come together during the gathering.
“Our legs are still wobbly,” said Tony Hatch, a cousin of one of the injured students. “We’re really damaged right now.”
Of the wounded students, only 14-year-old Nate Hatch showed improvement, though he remained in serious condition. Andrew Fryberg, 15, also remained in critical condition. Both are cousins of Jaylen.

A student wearing a Marysville-Pilchuck football jersey is comforted at a church Friday.

Meanwhile, 14-year-old Shaylee Chuckulnaskit remained in critical condition.
Fryberg died in the attack after a first-year teacher intervened. It’s unclear if he intentionally killed himself or if the gun went off in a struggle with a teacher.
The makeshift memorial on a chain-link fence by the school, which will be closed this week, kept growing Sunday. Balloons honouring the victims and the shooter adorn the fence along with flowers, stuffed toys and signs.
Witnesses have hailed first-year social studies teacher Megan Silberberger as the hero of the incident.
She ran up to Jaylen and grabbed his arms while he was reloading his weapon. It’s thought her act of bravery may have prevented a more deadly rampage.

Act of heroism ... Megan Silberberger is thought to have grabbed the young gunman’s arms while he was reloading his weapon. Source: Supplied

Staff and students at the school are struggling to make sense of the killing by Jaylen, who was described as a popular kid who was recently crowned homecoming prince.
Social media posts paint a picture of a well-liked teenage athlete, familiar with hunting and firearms.

Dead ... Shooter Jaylen Fryberg, 15, is seen during a homecoming celebration at his school earlier this month. 

Fryberg’s classmates had no warning the lunchtime carnage was coming.
Josiah Gould, 14, said he was sitting in the cafeteria eating his lunch when he heard a loud pop. At first he thought someone had blown up and popped a lunch sack. After hearing a couple more pops, he looked across the room.
“I could see Jaylen standing up with a gun, and he started shooting,” Gould said. “They were sitting down and he was behind them shooting. After that I just ran.” Zach Yarbrough, a junior at the school, said he saw Fryberg “extend his arm across a round table and fire his gun three to four times.” Yarbrough ran to a nearby classroom.

Friends ... Victim Shaylee Chuckulnaskit with Fryberg in a picture posted on Facebook. Picture: Facebook 

After the shooting ended, an all-too-familiar scene played out: Hundreds of students ran away or huddled in classrooms, swarms of police converged with weapons drawn, and anguished parents rushed to a nearby church to see if their kids were safe.
Fryberg and a girl were confirmed dead.

Gunshots ... A police officer scours the campus. 

 

source news.com