Four school-shooting victims still hospitalized as Marysville mourns

MARYSVILLE, Wash. – Flowers and cards accumulated outside Marysville-Pilchuck High School on Saturday as four students remained in intensive care, each shot in the head by a classmate in a crowded cafeteria the day before.

Shaylee Chuckulnaskit and Gia Soriano, both 14, were identified Saturday as the two girls wounded in Friday’s deadly shooting.

Both girls had surgery Friday, and both were still in critical condition, according to Dr. Joanne Roberts, chief medical officer for Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett.

Roberts said the girls have a nurse at their bedsides at all times.

“The next three days are going to be crucial,” she said. “These young people are being monitored moment by moment. We won’t know a whole lot more for the next two or three days.”

The two boys were at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Nate Hatch, 14, was in critical condition. Andrew Fryberg, 15, was in serious condition. Both are cousins of the shooter.

One girl died at the school. The Snohomish County medical examiner had not yet released her identity. But she was identified as Zoe Galasso by a family friend who said he had been in touch with the girl’s mother about a fundraising website in her honor.

Family members of all five victims declined to speak with reporters Saturday.

Investigators said Saturday that they had interviewed more than 100 witnesses and recovered a .40-caliber handgun they believe was used by a student who opened fire at 10:39 a.m. and shot five classmates before killing himself.

The shooter was identified by classmates Friday as freshman Jaylen Fryberg. The motive is still under investigation. The handgun is registered to Fryberg’s father, CNN reported.

Two additional students injured in the shooting were treated at the high school for minor wounds Friday and then released, the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office said.

Detectives said a cafeteria worker had attempted to stop the shooter but didn’t release additional details.

Randy Davis, president of the Marysville Education Association, said Saturday he had been told by school district officials that first-year social studies teacher Megan Silberberger was the one who made that effort.

The teacher intercepted the gunman as he paused, possibly to reload, student Erick Cervantes told KIRO-TV.

In a statement, Silberberger said, “While I am thankful and grateful for the support from everyone, at this time I am requesting privacy for myself and my family.”

Davis praised the teacher.

“I’m not even sure why Megan was in the cafeteria at the time,” he said. “I think it was just a teacher going through, getting her lunch or coming from lunch. I’m completely amazed. There’s two ways anybody could go in that situation. You can flee or you can go toward it. Obviously, we’re glad she did what she did and thankful.”

Sophomore Jordan Reynolds, 15, was in the cafeteria when the shooting occurred.

“The first shot went off and everyone kind of didn’t know what to think. It sounded like a balloon almost,” she said. “Then another one went off and another one. Some people started hiding under tables and some people started running out the doors. I hid under a table. I was in shock, so I couldn’t move anyway.”

In Everett, Roberts read a brief statement from Gia’s family.

“Our family is in shock,” it said. “We appreciate your thoughts and prayers during this tragedy. Our hearts go out to the other victims and their families.”

Roberts said she has spent time with both families. “We’ve seen tears. We’ve seen anger. We’ve seen just grieving,” the medical officer said.

Teachers, friends and relatives described the five victims as ordinary and popular teenagers, and as friends with each other.

“I don’t know if I ever saw them without smiles on their faces,” said Matt Remle, a Native American liaison for the Marysville School District familiar with Shaylee, Jaylen, Nate and Andrew. “They were just a sweet group of kids. A lot of laughter from them.

“When you know the kids directly, on a personal level. … When you know how sweet they are, that’s the unreal part,” Remle said.

Outside Marysville-Pilchuck, well-wishers stopped by a chain-link fence to add flowers to a makeshift memorial. By late Saturday afternoon, no fewer than 100 bouquets, balloons, stuffed animals and messages were there.

The visitors included Randy Vendiola, who said he has known the Fryberg family for decades.

“(Jaylen) was a very good child. Not a monster the way some people are making him out to be,” said Vendiola, a counselor at a Marysville elementary school.

Vendiola said he may never understand what happened there Friday.

“We mourn. We hurt. We get angry. But we have to learn to do what we can to make things better for the young generation,” he said. “We need to see the warning signs and we need to do it together.”

Corey Williams, 37, said he set up a gofundme.com page Saturday to raise money for Zoe’s family because he felt compelled to do something.

“I just can’t do nothing,” said Williams, of Lake Stevens, who is a friend of Zoe’s mother. “My goal is just to alleviate any of the hardships that might come.”

The Zoe Galasso Memorial Fund page had raised more than $13,000 from 269 donors by Saturday evening, surpassing its stated goal.

“I’m pretty surprised,” Williams said. “I put $10,000 as the goal as a pie-in-the-sky thing. I’m shocked.”