As Seattle school mourns, teacher hailed as hero

As a Seattle community tries to make sense of a deadly high school shooting and four students continue recovering in hospitals, community members took some solace in a first-year social studies teacher who may have minimized the bloodshed.

After a student opened fire with a .40-caliber handgun in the cafeteria of Marysville-Pilchuck High School on Friday, Megan Silberberger confronted the shooter, according to witnesses and the school union's president.

"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," student Eric Cervantes told KIRO-TV. "I believe she's actually the real hero."

Randy Davis, president of the Marysville Education Association, the teacher's union, said he had spoken to Silberberger and described her as "your classic first-year teacher with high enthusiasm." He said she requested privacy during the aftermath and was unsure how she ended up being the one confronting the gun-wielding 14-year-old. But he was happy she did.

"I'm not even sure why Megan was in the cafeteria at the time," Davis told The Seattle Times. "I think it was just a teacher going through, getting her lunch or coming from lunch. 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."

Authorities have identified the gunman as 14-year-old Jaylen Fryberg, according to the Associated Press. Described as a popular football player, a homecoming prince and well-liked by his classmates, community members were struggling to figure out what led him to open fire on several classmates, described as cousins and longtime friends.

"What triggered him? That's what we need to find out," said state Sen. John McCoy, a member of the Tulalip Indian Reservation where Fryberg was from. "Because from all we have determined, he was a happy-go-lucky, normal kid."

One student was killed on the scene. Four others, who all suffered head wounds from the shooting, were recovering Sunday in area hospitals.

Harborview Medical Center in Seattle was treating two of the victims: Nate Hatch, 14, who remained in serious condition and is improving in intensive care, and Andrew Fryberg, 15, who remained in critical condition in intensive care. Providence Regional Medical Center Everett officials said two 14-year-old girls, Shaylee Chucklenaskit and Gia Soriano, remained in critical condition Sunday.

School officials planned to hold a community meeting Sunday evening for students, parents and staff to discuss how to heal and move on from the tragedy. The school said health counselors and specialists would be on hand to help parents and students who are struggling to cope with the shooting.

Copyright 2014USAToday

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