Four teens killed by student gunman inside Michigan high school identified
A star student athlete recently awarded honors as a linebacker and tight end on his football team was one of four teens killed when a 15-year-old shooter opened fire inside his Michigan high school.
Tate Myre died in the back of a police cruiser as an officer attempted to rush him to a hospital, shortly after gunfire erupted inside Oxford High School Tuesday afternoon. Sheriff Michael Bouchard said during a late-night news conference that the 16-year-old was so severely wounded that there was no time to wait for an ambulance.
According to a petition that was started to rename the the high school’s Wildcat Stadium in Myre’s honor, the teen was fatally struck while he tried to disarm the sophomore student spraying bullets across halls and into classrooms.
“Tate is not just a hero to his fellow students at Oxford high school but a legend, his act of bravery should be remembered forever and passed down through generations,” it reads. “He put his life in danger to try and help the thousands of other students at Oxford High School.
So far, it has nearly 40,000 signatures.
Former teammate Drake Biggie, who is behind the petition, recalled Myre making the varsity team as a freshman and called him “the face of our football team.”
“Everyone wanted to talk to Tate, everyone wanted to be around Tate,” Biggie told the Washington Post, adding that Myre earned widespread respect as someone who worked hard and “got the job done.”
Oxford High School students Hana St. Juliana, 14, and 16-year-old Madisyn Baldwin, were also killed in the attack, which lasted about five minutes, according to the Oakland County Sheriff’s office. Oakland County Undersheriff Mike McCabe on Wednesday announced a fourth victim, identified as 17-year-old Justin Schilling, succumbed to his injuries.
Schilling was a member of the school’s bowling and golf teams.
Another eight people — seven students and a teacher — were wounded Tuesday afternoon, according to Bouchard. Of those, three are in critical condition with gunshot wounds, including a 14-year-old girl who remained on a ventilator on Wednesday after surgery.
“It’s looking very tough for this young girl,” the sheriff said.
A 14-year-old boy was also in serious condition with a gunshot wound to the jaw and head, Bouchard added
Three students are in stable condition and the teacher who was shot has since been discharged.
“This touches us all personally and deeply and will for a long time,” Bouchard told reporters. “This wound will never go away.”
The alleged shooter, identified only as a 15-year-old sophomore, was arrested on the scene. He is currently in youth detention and on suicide watch in a special cell.
Authorities said that they cannot identify the suspect because he has not been charged as an adult.
