Students made their way back to the school the following Monday, as hundreds of random citizens stood side by side by the Marysville-Pilchuck High School for support. It was their first day back since October 24th, when Jaylen Fryberg gunned down and killed three of his friends and left two in serious condition before he took his own life. This story was more complicated than other school shootings because Fryberg seems to be glorified in ways shooters usually are not. In all the stories people have heard or read they all seem to say how four people died, not three, which implies Fryberg as a victim, yet he was the one who victimized others.

The Marysville incident was different because usually the shooter is lonely, bullied and most people didn’t know them but Fryberg was the opposite. He was on the football team, elected homecoming prince and a up in coming leader in his tribe. He was very well known and everyone talked about him. Students at Gig Harbor High thought of the catastrophe in shock. They said how they were reading about it as it was happening over Twitter and other social media sites and felt like they couldn’t do anything but pray that everyone would be okay in the end. As students in Marysville walked into their school, students at GHHS were making a poster to show them that they’re never alone and how even though we are not apart of their community, we still love and support them.

Senior Jeannette Medina tells her outlook on it, “I could never imagine the amount of sadness and anger a person must feel to be obligated to gun down his or her closest friends and peers. I just can’t grasp the idea of someone I know doing this so I can’t imagine how the students in Marysville must feel. Its very sad, he had so much going for him.” Junior Nancy Bravo adds onto Jeanette, “When something like this happens, its a shock and nobody knows why people take out their anger and frustration on the community.”

Most people don’t think anything like this could happen to you or the people you love, but it can. It only takes that one person to snap and take it out on his or her peers and unfortunately by the time authority figures or parents find out how mentally ill a student is, its too late and the tragedy has struck upon others. Schools prepare for the worst, but how could one possibly stop someone from striking out on others or themselves? Honestly, we would all love to hear that it can be prevented, but it simply cannot. But what we can do is watch what we say to people and if someone on social media seems “off” or what they are saying is unusual and out of character, then you should tell someone you trust like a counselor because YOU could be the one person who noticed their call for help and end up saving a life. Let’s make a difference Tides.