Marisol Bello and Michael Winter

USA TODAY

A well-liked freshman "homecoming prince" opened fire inside a high-school cafeteria north of Seattle on Friday, killing one girl and shooting four other students in the head before taking his own life.

Three of the students wounded at Marysville-Pilchuck High School were in "very critical" condition Friday afternoon, said a hospital spokeswoman.

Police said the gunman, identified Friday evening as Jaylen Fryberg, died from a self-inflicted gunshot. It was not clear whether the girl was pronounced dead at the scene.

Witnesses said the shooter used a handgun; police did not immediately reveal the type of firearm used.

A family member of the gunman said the shooting was "all over a girl."



Police had not officially identified the dead and injured by Friday evening, though their names were being reported on social media by students, friends and family throughout the day. The Seattle Times reported that one of the boys shot in the head was the gunman's 15-year-old cousin. Another cousin was also shot, a family member said.

Fryberg's identity was provided to the Associated Press by an official with direct knowledge of the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Students described the boy as a popular football player who was recently crowned a "homecoming prince." He belonged to a prominent Native American family from the Tulalip Tribes.

Four wounded teens were taken to Providence Everett Medical Center, said Chief Medical Officer Joanne Roberts. Two girls and a boy were in critical condition with head wounds and were in surgery.

A 14-year-old boy shot in the jaw was later transferred from Providence to Harborview Medical Center. He is expected to survive, doctors said.

Marysville Police Cmdr. Robb Lamoureux d id not provide any information about the gunman or a motive for the rampage.

Police learned of the shooting from a 911 call from someone inside the school at about 10:45 a.m. PT, Lamoureux said. The high school, about 30 miles north of Seattle, was then locked down "following an emergency situation," the school district said.

Student Alan Perez told KING-TV he was eating his lunch when he heard the gunshots.

"He had a little gun in his hand. I saw the flash from the muzzle," he said.

Austin Taylor was seated at a table next to the gunman, who was quiet amid the lunch chatter.

"All of sudden he stands up, pulls something out of his pocket," he told the station. "At first I thought it was someone making a really loud noise like a bag, a loud pop. There were four more after that. I saw three kids just fall from the table, like they were falling to the ground dead."

He said the shooter "was just staring down every one of his victims as he shot them."



Austin said he dove under the table, emerging when the shooting stopped.

"I got back up and saw he was trying to reload his gun. And when that happened, I just ran in the opposite direction and I was out of there as fast as I could," he said.

​Di Andres, whose 17-year-old son is a student, had earlier told KING that her son was texting her about the shooting: "He said that the school has been in lockdown and he's been hiding in a closet in a classroom with some classmates."

The Marysville-Pilchuck football coach, Brandon Carson, was not at school but was checking in with his players by text as events unfolded: "I'm just making sure my kids are safe," he told KING-TV.

Gov. Jay Inslee was briefed about the shooting.

A statement from his office said that he, "like everybody, is keeping these students and families in his prayers."

The school of 1,200 students will be closed next week, the district superintendent announced Friday evening.





Contributing: Doug Stanglin