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Tulalip Tribes Chairman: Native Kids Threatened In Wake Of School Shooting

Paula Wissel
A pair of angel wings hangs in memory of Zoe R. Galasso and Gia Soriano who were both killed in the shooting.

In the wake of Friday’s deadly shooting at Marysville-Pilchuck High School, some Native children in the district have received threats, according to the Tulalip Tribes.

Tribal member Jaylen Fryberg killed himself after shooting five friends, killing two of them. In a statement, the tribes said some kids are fearful of returning to school, and some parents are reluctant to send them.

At a community gathering Tuesday, tribal chairman Herman Williams said it’s important for everyone to work together.

“We recognize that, whether we like it or not, threats are going to appear and we just have to bear with it. We’re here to assure that we’re with the community. We’re trying to fathom as to how we’re going to protect all of our children of this community,” Williams said.

Tribal leaders denounced Fryberg’s horrific actions, but also pointed out those actions were the acts of an individual, not of a family or of a tribe. They added it’s important to support the families of everyone involved.

Paula is a former host, reporter and producer who retired from KNKX in 2021. She joined the station in 1989 as All Things Considered host and covered the Law and Justice beat for 15 years. Paula grew up in Idaho and, prior to KNKX, worked in public radio and television in Boise, San Francisco and upstate New York.