Wesco 4A Preview: Lake Stevens still strong C1 WEDNESDAY, 09.02.2015
●
EVERETT, WASHINGTON
●
WWW.HERALDNET.COM
75¢ (HIGHER IN OUTLYING AREAS)
●
MARYSVILLE PILCHUCK
‘I needed to do this’
Police report details shooting horror, but motive remains mystery By Eric Stevick, Diana Hefley, Rikki King and Scott North Herald Writers
MARYSVILLE — The final text message to his family may be the closest anyone will ever get to understanding the why about Jaylen Fryberg. The popular freshman began writing the text during school the day before he shot five of his closest friends in the head inside a Marysville Pilchuck High School cafeteria last October. He tapped send on his smartphone just before pulling his father’s handgun out of his backpack in the cafeteria. “I needed to do this tho... I wasn’t happy. And I need my crew with me too. I’m sorry. I love you,” the boy wrote. Jaylen had instructions for his parents. He told them to Jaylen apologize to the Fryberg families of Andrew Fryberg and Nate Hatch “for me taking them with me. But I need my ride or dies with me on the other side. And all the other friends if they get caught in this (expletive) tomorrow ... They’ll all be laying next to each other.” He wrote that fellow freshmen Zoe Galasso, Gia Soriano, Shaylee Chuckulnaskit and at least two other students might also be killed. He spelled out his funeral arrangements, down to the songs he wanted played. “Play the randy wood and the Kevin yazzie first and play the POPPIN (expletive) next and ask (redacted) for some poppin (expletive) to play.” He told his family to bury him, Andrew and Nate in a row, as simply as if arranging seats at a dinner table. ■■■ The text and other details of the Oct. 24 shooting were included in 1,400-page report released Tuesday as part of a records request.
DAN BATES / THE HERALD
Oct. 24, 2014: Police and emergency medical technicians converge outside Marysville Pilchuck High School after a shooting in a school cafeteria.
The document includes transcripts of interviews with some key witnesses, officers’ reports and evidence, including Jaylen’s texts. A court hearing is scheduled for Thursday to determine if additional documents related to text messages between Jaylen and his then 15-year-old girlfriend will be released. A break-up between the two is one reason many students at the school thought Jaylen may have done what he did. “The motive of the shooting/murders is uncertain but the investigation by the Snohomish County Multiple Agency Response Team confirmed
it was planned,” Washington State Patrol detective Jeff Rhue wrote in the report’s summary. ■■■ Investigators pieced together the days leading up to the shootings. Jaylen was suspended from school earlier in the month after he and another football player exchanged blows. Jaylen complained that the boy had made racist remarks. Friends also said Jaylen was upset about the break-up, which happened the night of homecoming. Detectives found a string of text messages the two exchanged. On Oct. 21, three days before the
shootings, he sent his girlfriend a text saying: “Ohk well don’t bother coming to my funeral.” The next day, his texts grew cryptic and darker. “I set the date. Hopefully you regret not talking to me” “You have no idea what I’m talking about. But you will” “Bang bang I’m dead” She asked Jaylen to quit texting her. He replied, “No. You don’t care. I don’t care.” When she stopped responding, Jaylen tried to reach her through another friend. On the morning of the
shootings, he used Facebook to send that friend a photo of a gun sitting between his legs. He told the friend to have the girl “call me before I do this.” By then, his plan was well in motion. Getting a handgun and extra bullets was as simple as reaching into the center console of his dad’s pickup truck where the weapon was stored. ■■■ A search of cell phone records shows Jaylen began writing his final text at 1:02 p.m. Oct. 23. He See SHOOTING REPORT, Page A5
Everett teachers OK contract with nearly 8% pay raise EVERETT — Teachers in the Everett School District voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to accept a new contract that will boost their salaries by nearly 8 percent in the next three years. The agreement was approved at a meeting of 800 teachers in the
Business . . . . .A9 Classified . . . . B1 Comics . . . . . .D4
Everett Civic Auditorium. It now goes to the Everett School Board for its expected approval Tuesday with the first day of classes scheduled the following day. “We’re very excited about this contract,” said Jared Kink, president of the Everett Education Association. “So much has changed about education in the last three years and this contract
Crossword . . .D4 Dear Abby. . . .D5 Food . . . . . . . .D1
Horoscope . . . B1 Lottery . . . . . .A2 Obituaries. . . .A7
addresses those changes.” Union and district negotiators held 14 negotiating sessions before striking a tentative deal at 10:30 p.m. Friday. Both sides agreed to not release any details of the agreement until teachers voted. Kink said it passed with 98 percent support. Salary aside, there are important provisions improving how
Opinion. . . . .A11 Sports . . . . . . . C1 Short Takes . . .D4
the union and school district interact on the teacher evaluation process and implementation of the Common Core curriculum, Kink said. But most attention will be on the pay hike. Everett teachers already enjoy the highest base salaries in Washington and the new deal should cement their hold on the top spot.
The Buzz: Obama surprised to find he can’t see Russia from Alaska. Page A2
The contract, which runs through Aug. 31, 2018, provides annual across-the-board increases of 2.25 percent, 2.5 percent and 3 percent. That is in addition to a 4.8 percent cost-of-living adjustment the state will pay teachers in the next two years. That will be paid in See TEACHERS, Page A2
Thunder? 63/55, C8
NOW RENTING!! NEW SENIORS 55+ APARTMENTS GREAT LOCATION! • Stainless steel appliances • Hardwood Floors • Social Rooms
Call today for a free, no obligation tour!
• Secure Bldg. • Outdoor Social Areas • On-site Laundry
Park Place APARTMENTS
STUDIO
SMALL 1 BDRM
LRG 1 BDRM
2 BDRM
695
$
Easy access to shopping, dining, & medical
6
42963 33333
9
VOL. 115, NO. 202 © 2015 THE DAILY HERALD CO.
895
$
• Elevator • Dishwashers • Built-in Microwaves
745
$
Ask About Our Move In Special!*
950
$
1397986
Herald Writer
DAILY
By Jerry Cornfield
• Covered Parking Available • Pets OK! * On small 1 bedrooms
3515 HOYT AVENUE, EVERETT, WA 98201 | 206-595-8852 www.parkplaceeverett.com | JTP37@comcast.net