Alex Rozier

KING-TV, Seattle

MARYSVILLE, Wash. — Gia Soriano, 14, died Sunday night, becoming the second victim of a shooting at a Seattle-area high school after a popular student opened fire on his classmates before taking his own life.

Gia was one of four critically injured teens taken to a local hospital Friday after high school freshman Jaylen Fryberg opened fire inside the cafeteria of Marysville-Pilchuck High School, killing one girl and injuring four others before dying of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

"We are devastated by this senseless tragedy. Gia is our beautiful daughter and words cannot express how much we will miss her," Gia's family said in a statement.

Shaylee Chuckulnaskit remains in critical condition, according to Joanne Roberts of the Providence Regional Medical Center Everett.

Of the wounded students, only 14-year-old Nate Hatch showed improvement though he remains in serious condition in intensive care at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Andrew Fryberg, 15, is in critical condition in intensive care.

Both Nate and Andrew are cousins of Jaylen Fryberg, whom other students described as a popular football player who had just been named homecoming prince. He was a member of a prominent Native American family from the Tulalip Tribes.

"I think Nate's either getting his memory back or somebody mentioned what had happened," said Nate's grandfather, Donald Hatch III. Nate has been able to communicate with family members via a board. "And it kind of broke his heart to hear, 'Why would my brother do that to me,' even though they're cousins. 'Why would my brother do that to me?'"

All of the students wounded were shot in the head.

"His eyes could barely open, but he could hear me just fine," Donald Hatch. "He recognized me, but he had to write on a clipboard and he just wrote to me, 'Grandpa I still have a bullet in my chest."

Nate was shot in the jaw but also has a chest injury that his grandfather thinks could be shrapnel.

Jaylen Fryberg died in the attack after first-year teacher Megan Silberberger intervened. It's unclear if he intentionally killed himself or if the gun went off in a struggle with a teacher.

"Grieve today, take the time to cry. Tomorrow we have work to do," Marysville Police Chief Rick Smith said during a community meeting Sunday at the high school 30 miles north of Seattle.

According to family members, Zoe Galasso, 14, also was killed in the shooting. The medical examiner has not officially identified her as a victim.

The shootings sent shock waves through the community.

The close-knit community on the nearby Tulalip Indian reservation struggled with the realization that a young man who had shown such promise could have ended his life and those of others so violently.

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

"We can't answer that question," said Matt Remle, who has an office at Marysville-Pilchuck High School. "But we try to make sense of the senselessness."

In the nearby community of Oso, where a landslide this spring killed dozens, people planned to gather to write condolence letters and cards.

Remle said he knew Fryberg and the other students well.

"My office has been a comfort space for Native students," he said. "Many will come by and have lunch there, including the kids involved in the shooting."

They all were "really happy, smiling kids," Remle said. "They were a polite group. A lot of the kids from the freshman class were close-knit. Loving.

"These were not kids who were isolated," he said. "They had some amazing families and have amazing families."

These factors make the shooting that much more difficult to deal with.

"Maybe it would be easier if we knew the answer," Remle said. "But we may never know."

Contributing: The Associated Press