Amarr Murphy-Paine Obituary,
The 17-year-old student who was fatally shot in the parking lot of Seattle’s Garfield High School on Thursday has been identified as Amarr Murphy-Paine. The Garfield Bulldog football team paid tribute to Murphy-Paine on its Facebook page the following day.
A memorial with flowers and signs now adorns the steps near the school where the tragic incident occurred. Several individuals were observed praying at the scene on Friday morning.
The heartbreaking event transpired during lunchtime on Thursday when Murphy-Paine was reportedly attempting to diffuse a confrontation between the suspected shooter and another person.
Deputy Chief Eric Barden stated that after trying to intervene, Murphy-Paine walked away, only to be confronted and shot multiple times by the suspect. After the shooting, which took place around 12:45 p.m., law enforcement arrived at the scene, where they found the student with severe injuries.
He was swiftly transported to Harborview Medical Center, underwent surgery, but ultimately succumbed to his wounds.
In response to the violence, Garfield High School was put on lockdown, and two nearby schools implemented shelter-in-place protocols as a precaution.
School was canceled on Friday and Monday, with classes set to resume on Tuesday, June 11. The suspect, described as a high school-aged male, fled the scene and has not yet been apprehended. It remains unclear whether the suspect is a student at the school.
This incident marked the second instance of gun violence linked to the school this year; a student was shot in the leg outside Garfield High while waiting at a bus stop in March. Mayor Bruce Harrell emphasized the distressing impact of such occurrences on young individuals during a press conference, stating, “I can’t use the word ‘trauma’ enough to describe what our children are going through.
Our kids deserve better.” Sue Rahr, the interim police chief, reassured the community that the Seattle Police Department is committed to enhancing its efforts to ensure the safety of students and residents.
