A high school student with a gun walked into the school cafeteria in Marysville, Wash., on Friday morning and opened fire, killing at least one person and wounding several others -- three critically -- before taking his own life, police and witnesses said.
The shooting at Marysville Pilchuck High School, located 35 miles north of Seattle, began around 10:45 a.m. PT., authorities said.
Fox affiliate KCPQ in Seattle, citing the boy's aunt, identified the shooter late Friday as Jaylen Fryberg. The Associated Press also identified Fryberg as the shooter, citing a government official. He had recently been crowned Homecoming prince and played on the high school's football team, according to The Associated Press.
Marysville Police Commander Robb Lamoureux said the gunman died of a self-inflicted wound, but he could not provide more details.
Providence Regional Medical Center in nearby Everett said it had three students, two girls and one boy, listed in critical condition with head wounds. Another student, who was transferred to Harborview Medical Center, was said to be in serious condition with minor injuries. A hospital spokeswoman described the victims as "young people," though she was unable to provide exact ages.
Shaylee Bass, 15, a sophomore at the school, told The Associated Press that Fryberg had recently gotten into a fight with another boy over a girl.
"He was very upset about that," said Bass, who was shocked by the shooting.
"He was not a violent person," she said. "His family is known all around town. He was very well known. That's what makes it so bizarre."
Marysville Pilchuck High School has many students from the Tulalip Indian tribe. Ron Iukes, a youth counselor with the tribe, said Fryberg was from a well-known tribal family.
"They're real good people, very loving, a big part of the community," he said. "Jaylen was one of our good kids. It's just a shock this happened. I've known this boy since he was a baby. It's just devastating."
State Sen. John McCoy, a tribal member, said the shooting had devastated the community.
"I do know the family," of the shooter, McCoy said. "We're all related in one shape or form. We live and work and play together."
Students present during the shooting described a chaotic scene.
"I heard people start screaming," Jordan Luton, a freshman who played on the high school football team with Fryberg and was present during the shooting, told Fox News' Shepard Smith. "People dropped to the ground."
Luton, who was about two tables away, said Fryberg didn't say anything, and the shooting lasted about a minute. He believed a 9 millimeter gun was used.
Frankie Pina, a friend of Fryberg who was on his way to school at the time of the incident, told Smith he was "not that type of kid."
"I don’t think a lot of people would have expected it," said Pina, adding that the shooter liked to hunt.
Marysville is a city of about 60,000 in Snohomish County.
A crowd of parents waited in the parking lot outside a nearby church where they were being reunited with their children. Buses pulled up periodically to drop off students evacuated from the school, with some running to hug their mothers or fathers. Some parents were sent back to their cars to get their identifications before they could leave with their children.
FBI spokeswoman Ayn Dietrich said the agency was assisting local law enforcement and providing specialists to work with victims and their families.
Speaking at an evening press conference, Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring said "this is a true community tragedy."
"It will take a long time for our community to heal from this," he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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