Classmates of Tate Myre, one of the four students killed during the shooting at a Michigan high school Tuesday, are calling him a hero after the 16-year-old junior lost his life while trying to disarm the alleged gunman.
Myre died in a patrol car as a deputy tried to get him to an emergency room, according to Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard.
Many of his fellow students want Myre to have a lasting legacy and in response, more than 136,000 people have signed an online petition to honor the running back on the football team by renaming the Oxford High School stadium after him.
“Tate is not just a hero to his fellow students at Oxford high school but a legend. His act of bravery should be remembered forever and passed down through generations,” the petition reads. “He put his life in danger to try and help the thousands of other students at Oxford High School.”
In addition to Myre, three other students 14-year-old Hana St. Juliana, 17-year-old Madisyn Baldwin, and Justin Shilling were also killed.
Alleged Shooter Charged with Two Dozen Crimes
Prosecutors have charged Ethan Crumbley, 15, as an adult with two dozen crimes, including murder, attempted murder, and terrorism for the shooting Tuesday at the high school.
“He deliberately brought the handgun that day with the intent to murder as many students as he could,” assistant prosecutor Marc Keast said while successfully arguing for no bail for Crumbley and a transfer to jail from a juvenile facility.
No motive was offered. But prosecutor Karen McDonald said the shooting was premeditated, based on a “mountain of digital evidence” against Crumbley.
Prosecutors also revealed the shooting spree was captured on school security cameras.
“What is depicted on that video – honestly, Judge, I don’t have the words to say how horrific that was,” Keast said.
Another video posted on social media showed students rushing to get out of first-floor classroom windows rather than open a door to someone who claimed to be a police officer. Sheriff Bouchard said he likely was a detective.
Father Bought the Handgun a Few Days Earlier
Authorities said the shooter used a handgun that his father bought just days earlier.
Investigators found that he had recorded a video the night before the bloodshed in which he discussed killing students, Lt. Tim Willis of the sheriff’s office said.
He even wrote in his journal about that same desire.
“This was not just an impulsive act,” McDonald told reporters. She also said charges were being considered against Crumbley’s parents. “Owning a gun means securing it properly and locking it and keeping the ammunition separate.”
During his arraignment, Crumbley replied, “Yes, I do,” when asked if he understood the charges. Defense attorney Scott Kozak entered a plea of not guilty.
There is no word on a motive. Investigators are still seeking Snapchat video which is said to have warned about a shooting at the school, prompting some students to stay home.
Oxford High, which is located roughly 30 miles north of Detroit, was closed for the rest of the week along with the district’s other schools. Some districts nearby and across suburban Detroit canceled classes Thursday due to concerns over threatening messages circulating on social media following the shooting. Some schools stayed open with stepped-up police presence as a precaution.
Tuesday’s shooting was the deadliest school shooting since the Santa Fe, Texas, High School shooting in 2018, according to The Associated Press/USA TODAY/Northeastern University Mass Killings database. The U.S. has had 31 mass killings this year of which 28 involved firearms.
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