The 15-year-old who allegedly shot five friends, killing two, at a high school north of Seattle drew them to the cafeteria with text messages, NBC News reported on Monday. The gunman, Jaylen Fryberg, fired at the friends he summoned before shooting himself dead on Friday.
RELATED: Gunman opens fire at high school outside Seattle
One of the four students seriously wounded in the shooting died Sunday night. Gia Soriano, 14, was shot in the head during the Friday morning violence at Marysville-Pilchuck High School. She had been in critical condition at Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett through the weekend.
“We are devastated by this senseless tragedy,” Dr. Joanne Roberts, chief medical officer at Providence Regional, said on behalf of the Soriano family. “Gia is our beautiful daughter and words cannot express how much we will miss her.”
Soriano was the second young woman to succumb to her injuries after Fryberg allegedly opened fire Friday morning in the school cafeteria, initially killing fellow schoolmate Zoe Galasso and critically wounding four others before turning the gun on himself. Shaylee Chuckulnaskit, 14, and Andrew Fryberg, 15, remained in critical condition more than three days after the incident. Nate Hatch, 14, who was upgraded to satisfactory condition at Seattle’s Harborview Medical Center, was awake and breathing on his own by Monday morning, said Susan Gregg, hospital spokesperson.
Investigators haven’t released a motive, but multiple sources familiar with the suspect said he recently was going through a breakup with his former girlfriend.
The community mourned Galasso during a candlelight vigil at the high school on Sunday.
Local officials, including the police chief, called on the community and the entire country to make societal changes to prevent future mass shootings in the United States. Americans have witnessed more than 100 mass shootings since 2009, and according to the FBI, the number continues to rise.
Some Washington residents are attempting to reduce the gun violence with a policy known as Initiative 594, which will appear on the state’s ballot next week during the midterm elections. The policy would require criminal background checks on all firearms sales and transfers in Washington, including at gun shows and on the Internet. Under the current federal law, residents can purchase firearms at shows and online without first passing a background check.
Michele Richinick