Washington Shooting: Teacher Grabs Gunman's Arm During Melee, Prevents More Deaths; Hailed as Hero
A shooting on Friday at Marysville-Pilchuck High School in Washington left three dead, and one teacher has been hailed as a hero for preventing more deaths during the melee.
Jaylen Fryberg, 15, opened fire in the high school cafeteria. He shot Gia Soriano and Shaylee Chucklenaskit, as well as Andrew Fryberg and Nate Hatch. Zoe Galasso died at the scene, as did Jaylen, who took his own life. Soriano passed away on Sunday evening of her injuries.
One teacher, Megan Silberger, is being hailed as a hero for preventing further loss of life.
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"I believe she is actually the real hero," Erick Cervantes, the first student to call 911 during the shooting, told KIRO-TV. "She's the one that intercepted him with the gun. He tried either reloading or tried aiming at her. She tried moving his hand away and he tried shooting and shot himself in the neck. She heard the gunshots first and she came in running through the door, right next to it. It wasn't [a] wrestle. She just grabbed his arm, and it lasted like two seconds, and I heard another shot."
"I'm completely amazed by her actions and I feel for her," teachers union president Randy Davis told The Associated Press. "I don't know why she was in the cafeteria but I'm just grateful she was there."
Silberger was new to the school, just in her first year of teaching social studies there, when the shooting occurred. Even though she is being hailed as a hero for putting herself in harm's way to save other students, Silberger has requested privacy as she copes with the aftermath of the shooting.
"I am thankful and grateful for the support from everyone. At this time I am requesting privacy," Silberger told the Marysville School District.
No one knows what happened and why Jaylen would shoot his friends and cousins, and the school will remain closed for one week while officials investigate.
