The shooter who opened fire at a Washington high school this morning was a popular 15-year-old boy who played on the football team and was crowned homecoming prince.
Jaylen Fryberg killed one classmate and wounded four more before turning the gun on himself in the cafeteria of Marysville-Pilchuck High School at 10.39am.
The horrific attack has left the entire community reeling as friends described Fryberg, a member of the Tulalip Native-American tribe, as a 'well-respected, great guy'.
Authorities are now scrambling to determine a possible cause for the shooting as the four survivors fight for their lives in hospital.
Pupils have told news stations Fryberg was suspended from the football team in recent weeks after being involved in a fight over 'racist' comments.
Others said he had been rejected by a girl.
Fryberg's tweets had become increasingly ominous in the months leading up to his bloody tirade. Recently he tweeted: 'Your gonna piss me off... And then some s*** gonna go down and I don't think you'll like it...'.
His final tweet last night ominously stated: 'It won't last...It'll never last...'.
Just hours later he entered the crowded cafeteria during lunch break with 'a blank stare' on his face and walked up behind one table clutching a handgun, witnesses described.
Multiple shots were fired, hitting five students.
One is said to have died at the scene before Fryberg turned the gun and killed himself.
All four of the victims were taken to Providence Regional Hospital in critical condition. Two were admitted to theater for surgery, while the remaining pair was transported to nearby Harborview Medical Center.
The school has now been closed until November 3 and counselors have been brought in to work with traumatized witnesses and friends of the victims.
Tonight's football match between Marysville-Pilchuck and Oak Harbor High School has been canceled and Oak Harbor has taken second place as a gesture.
Footage taken of the aftermath showed shaking teenagers being evacuated from the school with their hands in the air so officers could be sure they were not armed.
Officers with rifles rushed across the field to check the students for either injuries or weapons before taking them to a local church, where parents were gathered.
The school was placed on lockdown at 10.43am Pacific time after students and teachers called 911 about multiple shots fired in the cafeteria.
By 11am, a full SWAT team was at the scene.
A male victim being treated at Harborview Medical Center emerged from surgery at 4.30pm Easter time but was still in a serious condition.
Tonight, Chief Rik Smith of Marysville Police Department told a press conference FBI agents will work through the night interviewing witnesses to piece together details of the crime.
He refused to say Fryberg's name, adding: 'I will not perpetuate this cruel act in a place where kids should feel safe. I will not perpetuate that by spending any time on the shooter.
'Instead I want to focus on the heroic efforts of teacher who quickly moved students to safety and the students who helped each other.'
Herman Williams Jr, chairman of the Tulalip Tribe, also addressed media.
He said: 'I am deeply saddened by the terrible tragedy in our local school district. Our prayers go out to the families and the entire community.
'Our first priority is to support the families and the children of those involved.
Tonight, Chief Rik Smith of Marysville Police Department told a press conference FBI agents will work through the night interviewing witnesses to piece together details of the crime.
He refused to say Fryberg's name, adding: 'I will not perpetuate this cruel act in a place where kids should feel safe. I will not perpetuate that by spending any time on the shooter.
'Instead I want to focus on the heroic efforts of teacher who quickly moved students to safety and the students who helped each other.'
Herman Williams Jr, chairman of the Tulalip Tribe, also addressed media.
He said: 'I am deeply saddened by the terrible tragedy in our local school district. Our prayers go out to the families and the entire community.
'Our first priority is to support the families and the children of those involved.
According to the unnamed teen, Fryberg was a popular freshman and a member of the Marysville-Pilchuk football team, but he was recently suspended for fighting.
He was also an avid hunter and gun enthusiast, as evidenced by photos posted on his social media accounts.
A few months ago, he shared a picture online showing off a new rifle he had received for his birthday.
Earlier this month, the freshman was crowned homecoming prince, but a classmate told CNN that may have been subjected to bullying.
Police Commander Robb Lamoureux told reporters authorities believed that the shooter acted alone, but had no immediate word on a motive.
However, Jarron Webb, 15, told the Seattle Times Fryberg was angry at a girl for spurning his advance, and that he shot her dead as payback for her rejection.
On the eve of the shooting, Fryberg wrote an ominous final post on Twitter that read: 'it won't last.... It'll never last.... '
While Fryberg's friends and classmates described him as a nice, well-liked boy, his online history paints a somewhat different picture.
Over the past few months, Fryberg had unleashed a series of foul-mouthed and highly sexualized tweets venting his rage over a breakup. In some messages, the high school freshman expressed a desire to end his life.
'F*** it!! Might As Well Die Now,' the 15-year-old tweeted in June.
Earlier this week, just days before the shooting rampage, Fryberg fired off a cryptic message that read: 'Alright. You f***ing got me.... That broke me.'
A boy who witnessed the attack said at one point during the shooting, the gunman's handgun jammed, and the boy used that opportunity to flee the cafeteria.
He added that the teenager, whom he described as a 'nice kid,' remained silent while squeezing off rounds and had a 'blank stare' in his eyes.
Police are now in the process of sweeping the school. According to a press conference held at around 3pm Eastern time, officers are still finding groups of students and teachers hiding inside classrooms.
'I was in my classroom and someone pulled the fire alarm and we thought it was a fire drill and we ran out and they told us to go back in a classroom,; student Cindy Rodriguez, 17, told NBC News. 'We're scared.'
Ayn Dietrich, an FBI spokesperson in Seattle, said the agency had personnel on their way to the scene to help authorities with the investigation.
Officials at Marysville-Pilchuk posted a message on the school's website that read in part: 'Students who attend MPHS campus are being relocated to the Shoultes Community Church at the corner of 116th and 51st Street. Buses will take students home from there.
'Those parents in the area wanting to pick up their child will need to go to the church location and sign out their child out with school administrator or law enforcement.
'All after-school activities across the district are canceled today.'
Parents are being asked to bring their identification cards in order to pick up their children from the church.
The latest school shooting in the region happened at Seattle Pacific University, where a gunman killed one student and wounded two others on June 5.
Culled from Dailym
No comments:
Post a Comment