One week ago , Jaylen Fryberg stood tall as part of his high school 's homecoming court , spurring his fellow students to cheer . On Friday , he brought them to tears . There 's a jarring disparity between the celebratory scene on the sidelines of Marysville-Pilchuck High School 's football field and the horrific , later one inside the Washington state school 's cafeteria . Fryberg was center of attention both times : first as one of his school 's most popular students , then as a student who eyewitnesses said shot his peers , killing one of them , before turning his gun on himself . As classmate Jordan Luton , among others , said : `` Nobody would have expected it from him . '' 2 dead , including gunman , in school shooting . For some , high school can be a hard place to be widely embraced . But not for Fryberg , according to students there . The scene at halftime of Marysville-Pilchuck High School 's October 17 football game with Arlington High School is testament . There stood Fryberg , looking dapper in a tie , vest and sneakers , with his long hair tied up tightly . A schoolmate noted Fryberg played football and planned to try out soon for wrestling ; then people in the stands applauded him , with enthusiastic whistles and yells of admiration thrown in for good measure . The occasion was Fryberg being named the freshmen 's `` Homecoming Prince , '' joining others in Marysville-Pilchuck High School 's royal court . Friend and fellow student Nate Heckendorf explained that this honor means `` a lot of people had good hopes for him and thought the best of him . '' `` That ( title ) means ... teachers like you . Your peers like you , '' said Rachel Heichel , another freshman . `` You 're a person that everyone likes and a good person . '' All those applied to Fryberg , according to Heichel . `` He was a people person , '' she said . `` ... He was just a really nice kid and all-around good person . '' An avid outdoorsman . Fryberg was more than a beloved student or talented athlete . He was a proud Native American . According to his social media accounts , he belonged to the Tulalip tribe , which runs a resort casino in Marysville , a city of 60,000 located 30 miles north of Seattle . A fellow tribe member and local CrossFit coach told CNN affiliate KIRO that the teenager was not only `` very nice , '' but ambitious -- such that he might have one day become a tribal leader . Fryberg was an avid outdoorsman who liked to go hunting and had guns . Just three months ago , he posted a picture to Instagram of himself holding a rifle , along with the words : `` Probably the best BirthDay present ever ! I just love my parents ! ! ! '' Schoolmates and his social media accounts suggest that all was not happy with Fryberg , especially soon before the shooting . Luton said that , a few weeks ago , Fryberg got into a fight with someone who `` said something racist to him . '' Heckendorf elaborated `` there was bullying involved and a couple words said towards him that he obviously did n't like , '' noting that Fryberg got suspended after the fight . A federal law enforcement source also said he 'd been suspended . That 's not to say , as Heckendorf and others stressed , that this altercation necessarily had anything to do with what happened Friday . Police have not formally identified the attacker . Looking to social media for possible clues . Other potential clues might lie in Fryberg 's Twitter feed , which hints at a breakup with a girlfriend in recent months . It also includes a post from Tuesday saying , `` It breaks me ... It actually does ... I know it seems like I 'm sweating it off ... But I 'm not.. And I never will be able to . '' His final Tweet , on Thursday , was much shorter : `` It wo n't last ... . It 'll never last ... . '' That same day , Luton said he talked to Fryberg at football practice `` and he was all fine . '' And Heckendorf chatted with him even more recently , on Friday morning , asking Fryberg how he was doing and offering him his ear whenever needed . `` And he said , 'OK , thank you , ' '' Heckendorf said . `` We did a little handshake , and he was off . He looked pretty content with life . '' All these impressions , all these interactions made what happened later that morning in Marysville-Pilchuck High School cafeteria more shocking . Heichel was there when Fryberg apparently went up to a spot a few tables away and fired his gun . When she heard more shots , she turned around and `` saw him standing there ... the gun in his hand . '' `` When I saw him , I was like , 'Oh my God , that 's Jaylen , ' '' she said . `` I would have never expected it would have been him , out of all people . `` It was really heartbreaking for me to see that . ''
Jaylen Fryberg shot 5 , killing 1 , at his Washington high school before killing himself . Fellow students express surprise , describing him as a well-liked and good person . He was the first student to die in an active shooter incident since Columbine High School ( Colorado ) on April 20 of 1999. `` I would have never expected it would have been him , '' another classmate says .