Students returned to classes Monday at Marysville-Pilchuck High School in Washington, greeted by a memorial honoring the students killed during a shooting there Oct. 24.
“It feels really good to be back at school. People are upbeat. Not in a happy way, but just in an appreciation of each other’s company,”
Jordan Reynolds, a 15-year-old Marysville-Pilchuck sophomore, told the Seattle Times. “There are a lot of people giving hugs: students, teachers, parents and relatives.”
More than 500 people lined the streets near the school, shouting “we love you” and “welcome back,” the Times said. The students and staff were out of school last week after the shooting, which left four students dead, including the shooter, and two students hospitalized.
James Sanchez, the parent of a Marysville-Pilchuck student, stood outside the school, telling the Times, “This could have happened to anybody. As a parent, I want to make sure we let these students know that there are a lot of people out here who love them.”
"I think it's going to be huge for the kids to realize that they're not alone walking this journey, that they have way more support than their small circle,"
Tammie Clifford, a local resident and a school alum, told MyNorthwest.com.
Monday was not a full day of school, beginning with a 10:30 a.m. assembly and then lunch in the gym. The shooting took place in the cafeteria, the Times said, and it has not been reopened yet.
Shaylee Chuckulnaskit, 14, died Friday from injuries in the shooting, the Times said. Also killed were Zoe Galasso, 14, Gia Soriano, 14, and the shooter, Jaylen Fryberg.
Still hospitalized are Andrew Fryberg, 15, who is in critical condition, and Nate Hatch, 14, who is in satisfactory condition, the Times said.
MyNorthwest.com said the memorial will be taken down and preserved in some way.