It is with a heavy heart that we report the passing of Gia Soriano, one of the four teenagers who were taken to the hospital after being victims of a school shooting this past Friday at Marysville-Pilchuck High School in Washington state. Providence Regional Medical Center Everett made the announcement during a press briefing around 9:45 pm PST tonight.
We regret that Gia Soriano, age 14 years, passed away tonight as a result of her injuries. Despite the tremendous efforts of our caregivers, unfortunately the trauma injuries were extensive.
The Soriano family is releasing a brief statement:
We are devastated by this senseless tragedy. Gia is our beautiful daughter and words cannot express how much we will miss her. We’ve made the decision to donate Gia’s organs so that others may benefit. Our daughter was loving, kind and this gift honors her life.
Thank you to Providence for their excellent care – bar none – from beginning to end. Thank you to our friends and family who have supported us. Thank you to Drs. Bill Finley, Sanford Wright and Anita Tsen for their tremendous support and compassion. And thank you, to Bill and Ben with LifeCenter.
We ask that you please respect our privacy and give us the space and time we need to grieve and spend time together as a family in memory of Gia.
This is a senseless tragedy. Our hearts and prayers go out to the Soriano family. Our request is that the media and the public respect the families’ privacy so they can grieve in peace.
This has deeply affected Providence caregivers and our community. We invite you to join us for a moment of silence on Monday at 10:39 a.m., the time of the shooting, so we can take time to reflect, as well as collectively offer our thoughts and prayers to those who are grieving.
Three other victims are still being treated. Shaylee Chuckulnaskit is still listed in critical condition, Andrew Fryberg is still in critical condition; and Nate Hatch is listed in serious condition.
Another victim, Zoe Galasso, was killed Friday in the rampage.
The shooting was stopped by a teacher, Megan Silberberger, who confronted the shooter and grabbed his arm. During the struggle over the firearm, it was discharged and shot the shooter in the neck, seemingly by accident.