Marysville-Pilchuck School Shooting: Gia Soriano Dies From Injuries, Family Reacts In Statement

Marysville-Pilchuck Shooting — A makeshift memorial is seen outside Marysville-Pilchuck High School in Marysville, Washington, the day after the Oct. 24, 2014, shooting. Relatives of the killer said Saturday that they were living in a "nightmare" and struggling to understand why the boy targeted his two cousins and several friends before killing himself. One girl was killed and four other freshman students were severely wounded in Friday's morning rampage inside the cafeteria. Reuters

Gia Soriano, 14, died Sunday of the head wound she sustained when 15-year-old Jaylen Fryberg shot four of his classmates Friday at Marysville-Pilchuck High School in Washington. She was the third person to die in the shooting.

“We are devastated by this senseless tragedy,” the Soriano family said in a statement read by Dr. Joanne Roberts of Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett. “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 and kind, and this gift honors her life. We ask that you all please respect our privacy and give us the time and space we need to breathe and spent time together as a family in memory of Gia.”

Soriano was one of three students to be shot in the head in the attack. She suffered remained in critical condition until her death. Previously, Roberts warned that “the next three days are going to be crucial” in determining whether Soriano would recover. “Despite the tremendous efforts of our caregivers, unfortunately the trauma injuries were extensive,” she said Sunday.

Authorities have yet to determine why Jaylen Fryberg -- a popular student and member of Marysville-Pilchuck’s football team -- opened fire on classmates in the school cafeteria. Zoe Galasso, 14, was also killed in the shooting, while three other students remain in critical condition.

"He came up from behind and had a gun in his hand, and he fired about eight bullets," student Jordan Luton told CNN. "They were his friends, so it wasn't just random."

Shaylee Chuckulnaskit, 14, also suffered a gunshot wound to the head. The shooting’s other two victims, 14-year-old Nate Hatch and 15-year-old Andrew Fryberg, also remain hospitalized, with Hatch showing improvement. Hatch and Fryberg were the shooter’s cousins, the Seattle Times reports.

Jaylen Fryberg killed himself after being confronted by a teacher, NBC News reports. Don Hatch, grandfather to victim Nate Hatch, said Friday that the shooter targeted his close friends with whom he had just attended prom.

"Only God knows what escalated this. Only God knows. Nobody pushed a button with bullying. It's just something that happened, and we don't know why," Hatch told KOMO.