Fourth victim dies after Washington state high school shooting

USPA News - A teenage boy who was injured when his cousin opened fire at a Washington state high school last month has died of his injuries, bringing the number of people killed, including the gunman, to five, officials said on late Friday. It was the country`s worst school shooting in nearly two years.

Andrew Fryberg, 15, died at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle on Friday evening, hospital officials said. He was among five people who were shot on October 24 when his cousin, 15-year-old freshman student Jaylen Fryberg, opened fire in the cafeteria of Marysville Pilchuck High School, which is located in Marysville just northeast of Seattle. Jaylen Fryberg then killed himself. "We express our thanks for the amazing support from the community, as well as from everyone around the world that have been praying for us all through this tragic event," Fryberg`s family said in a statement. "We also want to say a special thank you to all the amazing staff that have cared for our son and brother here in the pediatric intensive care unit at Harborview." The family`s written statement added: "Our family is overwhelmed with the love and care that has been provided to our loved one during this time and you all will forever hold a special place in our hearts. But we also ask that you respect our privacy at this time of our deep loss." Jaylen Fryberg and 14-year-old Zoe Galasso were both killed on the day of the shooting, while 14-year-old Gia Soriano died on October 26 and 14-year-old Shaylee "Shay" Chuckulnaskit died on October 31. Nate Hatch, also 14, was shot in the jaw and was hospitalized for weeks before his discharge from Harborview Medical Center on Thursday. The motive for the shooting remains unclear, but authorities believe the victims were deliberately targeted after they were invited by Jaylen Fryberg to sit together at a table in the cafeteria. The shooting happened just days after Jaylen Fryberg`s girlfriend broke up with him and after Andrew Fryberg`s girlfriend, Zoe Galasso, turned down Jaylen when he asked her out on a date. Shay`s death on October 31 made the shooting the worst school shooting in the United States since Adam Lanza opened fire at an elementary school in Connecticut in December 2012, killing 20 children and six adults before turning the gun on himself. With the death of Andrew Fryberg, it raises the total number of fatalities to five.