'Blood is everywhere': Dramatic 911 calls released from deadly Washington high school shooting

Byand AP KGO logo
Thursday, November 13, 2014
A student wearing a Marysville Pilchuck football jersey is comforted at a church where students were taken to reunite with parents following the shooting. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
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A series of 911 calls have been released revealing heroic teachers and neighbors who stepped up during the Oct. 24 shooting at Marysville-Pilchuck High School in Marysville, Washington.

The most harrowing part of the recordings begins at 38 seconds, when teacher Megan Silberberger explains that she tried to stop the shooter from killing himself and begs for help.

The strong, determined voice told a 911 dispatch operator that she was standing with the student, Jaylen Fryberg, who had just opened fire inside a high school cafeteria.

"I have the shooter. One shooter," Silberberger told the operator. "Blood is everywhere. I need help. I need help now."

Other witnesses have called Silberberger a hero for trying to intervene when Fryberg opened fire at a group of friends. On Wednesday, authorities released the 911 calls from students, parents, neighbors, school workers and Silberberger, a first-year social studies teacher.

Four teenagers died from injuries sustained in the shooting. One student who was seriously hurt was released from the hospital last week. Jaylen Fryberg killed himself.

Silberberger described the scene.

"I have him down," she said. "I'm looking at him. I need help. Shooter's right here."

She described his clothes, but did not know anything else about him.

"He is a high school student," she said. "I do not know his name. I tried to stop him before he shot himself. He shot himself. I don't know how many are down. I tried to stop him."

Students who fled the scene also reported the shooting to 911, describing how they dropped to the ground or bolted from the building.

"I just ran out of the school," one student told the operator.

A woman who lives next to the school, about 30 miles north of Seattle, called to report that a group of students had climbed over her fence and were hiding at her house. She told the operator that several of the students had witnessed the shooting and asked how long they should stay inside. The operator advised her to hold tight until the police could arrive to interview them.

Parents who received calls or texts from their children were frantic for information. One father said his son just sent a text reporting shots fired. The operator confirmed that they knew about it but could not provide any additional information.

"Well, we're going down there," the father said before hanging up.

A crying mother called to report a text from her daughter, but when the operator tried to comfort her by saying police were on the way, it didn't help.

"My daughter is not following lock-down directions and she and other kids have run from their classroom," the woman said. "She's away from her classroom right now. What advice can I give her?"

A food-service worker named Anne Haughian told the operator that she had just guided students out the cafeteria's side door. She said she saw a boy come in before the shots rang out, but did not see what happened next, adding "it happened so fast." Instead, she said she rushed the students out of the room to safety.

But one student was not with her. Her daughter.

"You're outside right?" the operator asked.

"Yes," Haughian said. "I'm trying to locate my daughter."

The Associated Press contributed to the report.