MOSCOW, October 25 (RIA Novosti) - Over 100 people have gathered at a Washington State church in a prayer service and vigil following the student shooting at Marysville Pilchuck High School which left four students wounded and two dead including the shooter.
"It's times like this we re-evaluate our priorities," Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring was quoted as saying by NBC News.
"The level of support that we have received has shown what a family we have in Washington," the mayor added.
Locals met at The Grove Church on Friday night in remembrance of the victims of the shooting which took place in the Marysville Pilchuck cafeteria that morning at 10:30 a.m. local time (17:30 GMT), according to NBC News.
The gunman, Jaylen Fryberg was a freshman recently suspended from the high school football team for fighting. Two cousins of the shooter, Andrew Fryberg and Nate Hatch are among those wounded and currently in critical condition. Two girls whose names have not been revealed were also hurt. Fryberg shot and killed one female classmate and later shot himself after opening fire.
Reasons behind the shooting are still unknown.
Public mass shootings in the United States have been on the rise since 2011, according to a data analysis from the Harvard School of Public Health. Data shows that a public mass shooting occurred in the country on average once every 172 days since 1982, but shifted in September 2011 when some 14 public mass shootings took place less than every 172 days. In the subsequent three-year phase public incidents occurred every 64 days on average.
