The three tragic teenagers who were shot dead by a fellow student at their high school on Tuesday have been named and pictured.
Tate Myre, 16, Hana St. Juliana , 14, and 17-year-old Madisyn Baldwin, died after they were gunned down by the shooter who used a weapon which his dad bought just four days before.
Police said the 15-year-old suspect also wounded seven other students, ranging in age from 14 to 17, and a 47-year-old teacher during his rampage at Oxford High School in Michigan, US.
Three of the injured students, a 15-year-old boy, and two girls, ages 14 and 17, are fighting for their lives.
Oakland County Sheriff Michael J Bouchard said: "This kind of thing can happen anywhere and sadly it happened even in a sweet quiet community like Oxford."
The teenage suspect was uninjured and arrested by officers who arrived at the scene within two to three minutes of the first 911 call reporting the shooting.
Tate has been described as a “standout” football player at who died from his wounds on the way to the hospital in the back of a patrol car.
Myre, a talented footballer for the school team, was described by a fellow sportsman as a beloved athlete in the area.
Matt Johnson, 17, told The New York Post : “He was a standout player. He inspired many people and was loved by many people."
Matt, who attends a different high school and has played against Myre, said he was in “utter shock” when he learned of the tragedy.
He added: “There’s just no words to describe it. I just can’t believe stuff like this happens and stuff like this is allowed to happen.”
Madisyn's family told ClickOnDetroit she was the oldest of three siblings and had already been accepted to several colleges.
Sheriff Bouchard said during a press briefing that the suspect has lawyer and has refused to speak to police.
He added that the weapon used in the deadly shooting spree was a 9mm Sig Sauer pistol that was bought by the boy’s dad on November 26.
Detectives believed the shooter at least 12 shots and had taken three 15-round magazines with him to school.
He hid the weapon and ammunition in a bag that was later found by the police's dog team and after searching his home officers seized several items, including the boy’s phone.
Oakland County Undersheriff Michael McCabe said at an earlier briefing that online conspiracy theories and rumours, including claims that the attack had been planned, were unconfirmed.
He also said that a previous incident at the school where a deer head was thrown from the school’s roof and red paint was splashed on some of its windows was “absolutely unrelated’’ to the tragedy.
A motive for the shooting is still unclear and officers will present the case to the local prosecutor who will decide on the charges.
