3 fight for lives after shooting

Associated Press

MARYSVILLE, WASH.

Tribal members played drums and sang songs in a gymnasium as students and parents gathered to support one another after a deadly shooting by a popular Washington state high- school student.

Young people hugged each other and cried and speakers urged people to come together during a community meeting Sunday at Marysville-Pilchuck High School. On Friday, a 14-year-old homecoming prince opened fire in the cafeteria, killing one girl and badly wounding four other teenagers.

The shooter, Jaylen Fryberg, was from a prominent Tulalip Indian tribal family. He died of a self-inflicted gunshot.

Three of the critically injured students fought for their lives in Seattle-area hospitals Sunday. Of the wounded students, only 14-year-old Nate Hatch showed improvement, though he remained in serious condition in intensive care at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Fifteen-year-old Andrew Fryberg also remained in critical condition in intensive care. Both are cousins of Jaylen Fryberg’s.

Meanwhile, 14-year-olds Shaylee Chuckulnaskit and Gia Soriano remained in critical condition in intensive care at Providence Regional Medical Center Everett.

The girl killed in the shooting hasn’t been officially identified.

Fryberg died in the attack, after a teacher intervened. It’s unclear if he intentionally killed himself or if the gun went off in the struggle.

The close-knit community, meanwhile, on the nearby Tulalip Indian reservation struggled with the news that the shooter was a popular teenager from one of their more well-known families.

A tribal guidance counsellor said no one knows what motivated Fryberg.