Marysville Pilchuck High School shooting
Marysville Pilchuck High School shooting | |
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Location | Marysville, Washington, U.S. |
Coordinates | 48°5′45.58″N 122°9′16.34″W / 48.0959944°N 122.1545389°WCoordinates: 48°5′45.58″N 122°9′16.34″W / 48.0959944°N 122.1545389°W[1] |
Date |
October 24, 2014 10:39 a.m. – 10:42 a.m. (PDT) |
Target | Students at Marysville Pilchuck High School |
Attack type | School shooting, murder–suicide |
Weapons | .40-caliber Beretta Px4 Storm handgun[2][3] |
Deaths | 5 (including the perpetrator)[4] |
Non-fatal injuries | 3 (1 by gunfire) [4][5][6] |
Perpetrator | Jaylen Ray Fryberg[2] |
The Marysville Pilchuck High School shooting occurred in Marysville, Washington, on October 24, 2014, when 15-year-old freshman student Jaylen Fryberg shot five other students at Marysville Pilchuck High School, fatally wounding four, before fatally shooting himself. Fryberg's father, Raymond Fryberg, was arrested and convicted the following year for illegally purchasing and owning the gun used in the shooting, among other firearms.
Events
Prior to the shooting, Fryberg invited several students, all of whom were friends, to meet him for lunch via text message.[7][8][9] He urged some of them to skip classes they had at the time.[10] Minutes prior to the shooting, he reportedly sent a group text message to his family and the families of his would-be victims. In it, he apologized for his actions, explained his motives, and laid out plans for his funeral.[11][12]
At lunchtime, the invited students sat together at one table. Fryberg then entered the school cafeteria and sat down at a different table. At 10:39 a.m., according to eyewitnesses, he stood up, approached the table where his friends were sitting, and had a verbal altercation with them. He then pulled out a .40-caliber Beretta Px4 Storm handgun[3] and fired at least eight shots,[13][14] shooting several students in a "calm, methodical way".[15] During the shooting, Fryberg was described by a witness as having "a blank stare" and "staring at the victims as he shot them".[16] He also appeared to be targeting only the table where his friends were sitting. At the time of the shooting, seven students were seated at that table.[12]
Fryberg died at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. An early eyewitness report stated that an adult school staff member tried to intervene by grabbing Fryberg's arm, inadvertently causing him to fatally shoot himself in the neck.[2][17][18] The employee was later identified as first-year social studies teacher Megan Silberberger, who tried to apprehend Fryberg as he may have been attempting to reload.[7][19]
Police officials and the Snohomish County medical examiner later clarified that Fryberg committed suicide by shooting himself in the head and that Silberberger did not touch him in the moments preceding his death,[8][9] though she did make an attempt to subdue him.[10] Shortly after Fryberg committed suicide, Silberberger contacted authorities.[20] The motive for the shooting is unknown, although a student at the school stated that "[he] was angry at a girl who would not date him, and that the girl was one of the people shot" Also claimed: Another student used a racial slur against him, a claim that was supported by other classmates and by Fryberg's family members.[21][22]
Aftermath
After the shooting, recordings of police radio communications during the event were released by the Snohomish County Police Staff and Auxiliary Services Center after requests for public records. A timeline was also provided by Marysville police spokesman Robb Lamoureux. According to the timeline and recordings, an anonymous 9-1-1 caller, using a cellphone, first alerted police to the shooting. The school resource officer was the first law enforcement officer to make contact with the victims, arriving at the scene a minute after the first 9-1-1 call was received. He immediately reported that a fire alarm was going off and that there were students and staff evacuating from the building. A dispatcher then informed him about a report of a possible shooting in the cafeteria. The officer responded, "Ocean 12, it's confirmed. We have a shooter. We have five down." He later said, "Shooter is DOA [dead on arrival]. We have got apparently four [victims.]" Soon afterward, he said, "Ocean 12, I need aid here. I have two that are still breathing and alive. Looks like I have three possibly deceased." The first paramedics arrived on the scene ten minutes after the first radio dispatch.[23][24][25]
At the time of the shooting, approximately 150 people were inside the cafeteria.[10] A vice-principal ordered the school to go into lockdown.[10] The victims were all identified as friends of Fryberg.[5] It was initially reported that at least six students were wounded.[26]
Some students fled the cafeteria immediately after the shooting started. Several climbed over the fence of a house next to the school and sought shelter there. Other students disregarded the school lockdown rules and fled their classrooms while they were in place.[27][28] As the school was cleared by local law enforcement officials, students were taken by bus to a nearby church.[29] It took two hours for officers to evacuate hundreds of students who were still hiding inside the school,[25] and more than 100 witnesses were interviewed by investigators.[18]
Classes at Marysville Pilchuck High were cancelled for the following week, as well as an upcoming football game. The cafeteria where the shooting took place will not be reopened and is being considered for remodeling.[15][30][31]
In the wake of the shooting, threats were made against several students belonging to the Tulalip tribe, the Native American tribe Fryberg belonged to. A spokesman for the Marysville School District stated that the school district was taking the threats seriously.[32][33] The school reopened on November 3, with about fifteen counselors present on campus.[34]
On October 30, a memorial service was held for Fryberg at a recreation center on the Tulalip Indian Reservation. Hundreds of people were in attendance.[35]
On September 2, 2015, more than 2,200 pages of investigative documents were released to the public by Snohomish County authorities. They consisted of interviews with Fryberg's classmates, many of whom were feet away when Fryberg first opened fire.[36]
Origin of the gun
On March 31, 2015, Raymond Lee Fryberg Jr., Jaylen Fryberg's father, was arrested for purchasing five guns, including the Beretta handgun used during the shooting, from a Cabela's store between January 2013 and July 2014.[10][37] He reportedly lied on a background check that there were no restrictions imposed against him in the purchases. In 2002, his then-partner issued a permanent order of protection against him after he threatened and assaulted her. The order barred him from making legal firearm purchases. Fryberg had previously violated the order in September 2012.[3][38][39] Immediately following his arrest, Fryberg appeared at a brief hearing in the Seattle District Court, where a preliminary hearing was set for April 14, 2015. He was later released under supervision by a federal magistrate judge on April 2, 2015.[38][40]
On April 16, 2015, Raymond Fryberg reappeared in court and pleaded not guilty to six counts of illegal firearm possession concerning nine guns. A federal jury found him guilty of knowingly owning firearms that he legally could not possess.[10][39][41] On January 11, 2016, he was sentenced to two years in prison.[42]
Victims
Students
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Perpetrator
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Zoë Raine Galasso was killed at the scene by a single gunshot wound to her head. Her death was ruled a homicide.[8][23][43][44]
Shaylee Adelle Chuckulnaskit[45] and Gia Christine Soriano[46] were taken to Providence Regional Medical Center Everett in critical condition, with single gunshot wounds to the head. The wounds were reportedly so severe that both were not immediately identifiable. It was announced on the evening of October 26 that Gia Soriano had died from her wounds.[10][47] On October 31, one week after the shooting, Shaylee Chuckulnaskit was also confirmed to have died from her wounds.[48][49]
Andrew Fryberg, a cousin of Jaylen Fryberg, was also taken to Providence Regional Medical Center, where he was in critical condition from two gunshot wounds, including one to the head.[5][2][10][50] Late in the evening on November 7, two weeks after the shooting, it was confirmed that he had died from his wounds.[4][51] He was the only victim shot twice.[10]
Nate Hatch, another cousin of Jaylen Fryberg, suffered a single gunshot wound to the jaw and was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for treatment. He was listed in serious condition and placed in intensive care. His condition was upgraded to satisfactory on October 27,[2][10][50] after having surgery to repair his jaw.[52] He was discharged from the hospital on November 6.[53][54]
Two other students were treated for minor injuries at the school, although it was unclear whether these injuries were inflicted by gunfire.[6] Two female students who were sitting on the same table as the victims, including another cousin of Fryberg's, were not injured by gunfire.[10][12]
Perpetrator
Jaylen Fryberg | |
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Born |
Jaylen Ray Fryberg July 31, 1999 |
Died |
October 24, 2014 15) Marysville, Washington | (aged
Cause of death | Suicide by gunshot wound to the head[8][9] |
Resting place | Tulalip Tribal Cemetery |
Residence | Tulalip Indian Reservation |
Nationality | American |
Occupation | Student |
Jaylen Ray Fryberg (July 31, 1999 – October 24, 2014), a 15-year-old freshman student at the school, was identified as the shooter based on reports from other students at the scene. Fryberg was a wrestler and football player at the school.[2][14] He was described as "generally happy",[55] "a really nice kid",[56] and "not a violent person".[57] He was later said to have been experiencing difficulties in adjusting to the school environment, with his grades slipping and missing classes for several days.[10]
Fryberg was of Native American descent and a member of the Tulalip tribe.[5] He was close friends with his cousins Andrew Fryberg and Nate Hatch.[58] One week prior to the shooting, Fryberg had been announced as the school's freshman homecoming prince at a football game.[2] He used multiple social media accounts that frequently depicted him hunting and using rifles. The ownership of the Beretta handgun used in the shooting was traced to Fryberg's father.[5][59]
Fryberg's last few Twitter posts were described as "emotional".[5][2][60] Hours before the shooting, a fellow student had asked him if he was doing okay following a fight with another student who had been using racial slurs. Fryberg had been suspended from school and the football team following the fight.[2][61]
A student claimed that Fryberg fought with a student over a girl,[62] and another that one of Fryberg's victims was a girl who turned him down when he asked her out on a date. This girl, later identified as Zoë Raine Galasso, was reported to have been dating Fryberg's cousin Andrew at the time.[21][63][64][65][66] Fryberg also had an ex-girlfriend at the time of the shooting, Shilene George, to whom he sent pictures of him with the handgun in the school cafeteria immediately prior to the shooting. She told authorities she was forced to end the relationship days prior to the shooting after Fryberg became violent with her.[67] Fryberg's posts to Twitter shortly before the shooting are believed to have been written because of the breakup.[68]
Reactions
Washington State Senator John McCoy, a member of the Tulalip tribe, said in a released statement, "I do know the family. We're all related in one shape or form. We live and work and play together."[69] Washington Governor Jay Inslee also said in a Twitter post regarding the shooting, "Like all of WA, [my wife] and I have everyone at #MPHS in our hearts and prayers. Please take care of each other."[70] He later declared November 3 "Red and White Day" in the state, urging Washington residents to wear red and white, the school colors of Marysville Pilchuck High, as a sign of support.[71] Secretary of Education Arne Duncan pledged his support for the Marysville community and commented regarding the national issue of gun violence, "Gun violence has no place anywhere, least of all at our nation’s schools, and we must do more to keep guns out of the wrong hands."[44]
The Tulalip tribe released a statement on October 29 denouncing Fryberg's "horrific actions" and adding that the shooting was "the [act] of an individual, not a family, not a tribe".[30] They later added, "We are supporting the family of Jaylen Fryberg in their time of loss, but that does not mean we condone his actions."[35]
The school football team was met by the Seattle Seahawks football team and were invited to their practice facility on October 28. On November 2, players on the Seahawks and the Oakland Raiders teams wore decals of Marysville Pilchuck High on their helmets during a game at CenturyLink Field in Seattle. Inactive Seahawks players, coaches, and staff also wore lapel pins bearing the same decals. In addition, a moment of silence was observed before the game began.[71][72][73]
A vigil was attended by over 1,000 people on the evening of October 24, 2014, at the Grove Church.[74] The football team from Oak Harbor High School showed up in uniform. They had been scheduled to play Marysville Pilchuck in a playoff game for the division title Friday night, but it was canceled. Becky Cooke Berg, superintendent of the Marysville School District, said Oak Harbor, Washington had offered to accept second place out of respect for its opponents.[75] "We understand other teams in the league will be wearing red and white in support of Marysville-Pilchuck," Berg said.[76] A second vigil occurred the next day at Mountain View Presbyterian Church.[77] On October 27, a moment of silence was observed by the Marysville community at 10:39 a.m., exactly 72 hours from the moment the shooting started.[78]
See also
References
- ↑ "GNIS for Marysville Pilchuck High School". USGS. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Tracy Connor. "Two Dead, Including Gunman, in School Shooting Near Seattle". NBC News.
- 1 2 3 "Father of Marysville School Shooter Jaylen Fryberg Charged With Gun Buy". NBC News. March 31, 2015. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
- 1 2 3 Javier, Liza (November 7, 2014). "Marysville Shooting victim, Andrew Fryberg, 15, dies". King 5 News. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Carter, Chelsea J. (October 24, 2014). "Sources: 2 dead, including gunman, at high school near Seattle". CNN. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
- 1 2 Rudra, Geetika; Candea, Ben (October 25, 2014). "Hero First-Year Teacher Facing School Shooter Acted 'Instinctively". ABC News. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
- 1 2 Steve Almasy, Kevin Conlon and Ben Brumfield, CNN (October 27, 2014). "Washington school shooter texted lunch table invites to victims". CNN.
- 1 2 3 4 Johnson, Kirk (October 27, 2014). "Washington School Gunman Used Texts to Gather Victims at Lunch, Police Say". The New York Times. Retrieved October 29, 2014.
- 1 2 3 "Marysville high school shooting: Jaylen Fryberg lured victims via text message, police say". FoxNews.com. Associated Press. October 28, 2014. Retrieved October 29, 2014.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Kutner, Max (September 16, 2015). "A Father Most Wanted in the Aftermath of His Son's High School Murder-Suicide". Yahoo! News. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
- ↑ "Marysville school shooter sent message to parents moments before opening fire, law enforcement sources say". Q13 Fox News. October 28, 2014. Retrieved November 3, 2014.
- 1 2 3 "School shooter texted 'I'm sorry' to family before killings". Yahoo! News. August 1, 2015. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
- ↑ "Timeline of the Marysville Pilchuck Shooting". HeraldNet. October 24, 2014. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
- 1 2 Johnson, Eric M.; Cavaliere, Victoria (October 24, 2014). "Two dead, four wounded after student opens fire Washington state school". Yahoo News. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
- 1 2 Keneally, Meghan (October 24, 2014). "Homecoming Prince Identified as High School Shooting Suspect". 6abc Philadelphia. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
- ↑ Denver, Nick; Worland, Justin; Frizell, Sam (October 25, 2014). "Two Dead, Including Gunman, in Washington High School Shooting". TIME.com. Retrieved October 29, 2014.
- ↑ La Ganga, Maria L.; Queally, James; Hennessy-Fiske, Molly (October 24, 2014). "Washington state high school student kills 1 classmate, injures 4". latimes.com. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
- 1 2 La Ganga, Maria; Queally, James (October 25, 2014). "Hospital identifies survivors of Washington high school shooting". LA times. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
- ↑ Bellisle, Martha; Duara, Nigel (October 25, 2014). "Teacher tried to stop Washington state shooting". Retrieved October 26, 2014.
- ↑ "Newly released 911 tapes reveal terror in Marysville-Pilchuck cafeteria shooting". MYNorthwest. November 13, 2014.
- 1 2 Jauregul, Andres (October 24, 2014). "Jaylen Fryberg Identified As Marysville Pilchuck School Shooter". The Huffington Post. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
- ↑ Foster, Peter; Ensor, Josie (October 24, 2014). "US high school gunman shot students 'over a girl'". The Telegraph. London. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
- 1 2 King, Rikki; Haglund, Noah; North, Scott (October 30, 2014). "Police recordings detail response to Marysville school shootings". HeraldNet. Retrieved November 3, 2014.
- ↑ "Marysville-Pilchuck shooting timeline (slide show)". The Marysville Globe. October 24, 2014. Retrieved November 3, 2014.
- 1 2 Hensley, Nicole (November 1, 2014). "Audio from Washington state authorities details minutes after Marysville-Pilchuck High School shooting". New York Daily News. Retrieved November 3, 2014.
- ↑ Kiro 7 Staff (October 24, 2014). "Seattle School Shooting - 4 Hurt, 2 Dead Including Gunman". kirotv.com. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
- ↑ "911 calls from Marysville school shooting: 'I need help'". KOMO-TV. November 12, 2014. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
- ↑ "911 Calls From Marysville School Shooting Released". Huffington Post. November 12, 2014. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
- ↑ Mertz, Adam. "School District: Students who attend MPHS...". twitter.com. @AJMertz. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
- 1 2 "Tribe seeks unity after Washington high school shooting". CBS News. October 29, 2014. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
- ↑ Mertz, Adam (October 28, 2014). "Marysville School District to make changes at high school after deadly shooting". Q13 Fox news. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
- ↑ Queally, James (October 29, 2014). "Tribe members are threatened after Washington high school shootings". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
- ↑ Johnson, M. Alex (October 30, 2014). "Tulalip Tribes Report Threats After Washington School Shooting". NBC News. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
- ↑ Glum, Julia (November 3, 2014). "Marysville-Pilchuck High School Shooting: Students Return To Class, Washington Governor, Teens Show Support On Twitter, Facebook". International Business Times. Retrieved November 3, 2014.
- 1 2 Bellisle, Martha (October 30, 2014). "Tribal service held for Washington school shooter". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
- ↑ "Marysville-Pilchuck High School shooter Jaylen Fryberg texted 'I'm sorry' to family before 2014 killings". The New York Daily News. September 2, 2015. Retrieved September 2, 2015.
- ↑ "Father of school shooter pleads not guilty to gun charge". The Seattle Times. April 16, 2015. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
- 1 2 "Gun in Marysville school shooting was sold despite background check, court order". The Seattle Times. March 31, 2015. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
- 1 2 "Father of Marysville-Pilchuck shooter pleads not guilty to gun charges". KCPQ News. April 16, 2015. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
- ↑ "Judge allows release of father of Marysville school shooter". The Seattle Times. April 2, 2015. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
- ↑ "Father of Marysville school shooter convicted of gun charges". Seattle Times. September 29, 2015. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
- ↑ "Father of Marysville shooter sentenced to 2 years for illegal gun possession". Seattle Times. January 11, 2016. Retrieved January 15, 2016.
- ↑ Broom, Jack (October 25, 2014). "Girl killed in Marysville school shooting remembered as 'nice and awesome'". Seattle Times. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
- 1 2 Porter, Caroline (October 28, 2014). "Washington School Shooting Suspect Invited Victims to Cafeteria: Sheriff". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 29, 2014.
- ↑ "Shaylee Adelle Chuckulnaskit - Obituary". Herald Net. November 5, 2014.
- ↑ "Gia Christine Soriano - Obituary". Herald Net. October 30, 2014.
- ↑ Duchon, Richie; Jaramillo, Sofia. "Washington High School Shooting Victim Gia Soriano Dies: Official". NBC News. Retrieved 26 October 2014.
- ↑ Javier, Liza (October 31, 2014). "Shaylee Chuckulnaskit, 14, Marysville-Pilchuck shooting victim dies". King 5 News. Retrieved November 3, 2014.
- ↑ Johnson, Eric M. (October 31, 2014). "Third victim in Washington state school shooting rampage dies". Reuters. Retrieved November 3, 2014.
- 1 2 Johnson, Kirk; Lovett, Ian; Paulson, Michael (October 24, 2014). "At Least 2 Dead in Shooting at Washington State High School". New York Times. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
- ↑ "Fifth teen dies as a result of Washington state high-school shooting two weeks ago". National Post. Associated Press. November 8, 2014. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
- ↑ "Marysville school shooting victim doing well after surgery". komonews.com. Associated Press. October 30, 2014. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
- ↑ "MPHS shooting survivor visits with friends — and Seattle celebrity Macklemore". Q13 Fox news. November 5, 2015. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
- ↑ "Nate Hatch, Marysville-Pilchuck shooting victim, released from hospital". King 5 News. November 6, 2014. Retrieved November 7, 2014.
- ↑ "Police Confirm Two Dead in School Shooting in Washington Including Shooter". WSAZ News Channel 3. Associated Press. October 27, 2014. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
- ↑ Botelho, Greg (October 25, 2014). "Jaylen Fryberg: From homecoming prince to school killer". CNN. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
- ↑ "Popular student stands city in deadly high school attack". New York Post. Associated Press. October 24, 2014. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
- ↑ Karimi, Faith; Sutton, Joe (November 8, 2014). "4th victim dies after shooting at high school cafeteria in Washington state". CNN. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
- ↑ Erica E. Phillips (October 25, 2014). "Two Dead in Shooting at Washington State High School". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
- ↑ Newcomb, Alyssa (October 25, 2014). "What We Know About the Washington State High School Shooting Suspect". Yahoo. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
- ↑ "School gunman was Homecoming prince, students say". Yahoo News. AP. October 25, 2014. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
- ↑ Kreamer, Matt (October 24, 2014). "2 dead, 4 wounded in shooting at Marysville-Pilchuck High". Seattle Times. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
- ↑ Johnson, Eric M.; Cavaliere, Victoria (October 25, 2014). "Washington school shooter's family living in a 'nightmare'". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 27, 2014.
- ↑ Parry, Ryan (October 28, 2014). "Best friend of Washington high school shooter survived by stifling urge to scream and playing dead on cafeteria floor after bullet tore through his jaw, family reveals". Daily Mail. London. Retrieved October 29, 2014.
- ↑ "Zoe Raine Galasso: Marysville School Shooting Victim". Daily Entertainment News. October 25, 2014. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
- ↑ Hill, Selena (October 30, 2014). "Washington High School Shooting Update: Ex Girlfriend Calls Jaylen Fryberg Her Soulmate Amid Reports He Sent Her a Selfie With a Gun". Latin Post. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
- ↑ Gibson, SM (October 23, 2014). "The Marysville School Shooter and His Bizarre Twitter Feed". The Anti-Media. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
- ↑ "Students describe deadly shooting at Washington state high school". CBS News. October 24, 2014.
- ↑ "Washington state high school on lockdown after shooting". The Sydney Morning Herald. October 25, 2014. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
- 1 2 "Seahawks honor Marysville-Pilchuck High School; Gov. Inslee declares Monday 'Red and White Day'". Q13 Fox News. November 2, 2014. Retrieved November 3, 2014.
- ↑ Payne, Marissa (October 29, 2014). "Seattle Seahawks hang out with Washington high school football team after shootings". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 3, 2014.
- ↑ "Seahawks, fans show support for Marysville-Pilchuck community". komonews.com. November 2, 2014. Retrieved November 3, 2014.
- ↑ "More than 1,000 attend vigil following school shooting". KING-TV. October 25, 2014. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
- ↑ Jaramillo, Sofia; Johnson, M. Alex (October 25, 2014). "'We Love Our Kids': Marysville Holds Vigil after School Shooting". NBC news. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
- ↑ Adam, Brandon (October 24, 2014). "1st-year teacher may have kept tragedy from being worse". The Marysville Globe. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
- ↑ Helsel, Phil (October 26, 2014). "'It Will Take Time': Marysville Struggles to Heal After School Shooting". NBC news. Retrieved October 27, 2014.
- ↑ Phillip, Abby (October 27, 2014). "Second Washington school shooting victim dies after homecoming prince took aim at his friends, family". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 29, 2014.