‘Funny, loyal, light of our lives’: Santa Clarita mourns victims of Saugus school shooting – USA TODAY

As investigators continue to search for a motive behind the deadly shooting at a Southern California high school Thursday morning, the community of Santa Clarita is coming together to remember the children it lost.

Dominic Michael Blackwell, 14, and Gracie Anne Muehlberger, 15, died Thursday when another student opened fire at Saugus High School, injuring three others. The 16-year-old suspect, who shot himself, died Friday night.

One 14-year-old boy was released from the hospital Thursday, and two girls, 14 and 15, were expected to be released soon.

GoFundMe pages that appeared to be created by family members of the two students killed had each raised tens of thousands of dollars by Saturday.

“Our vivacious, funny, loyal, light of our lives, Cinderella, the daughter we always dreamed to have, fiercely strong and lover of all things fashionable — was our best friend,” Gracie’s parents wrote on the GoFundMe page. “She is going to be missed more than words will ever be able to express. We will love you always Sweetpea!”

A webpage organizer who appeared to know Dominic said that the Blackwell family was taking time to mourn their unexpected loss.

“This world lost a bright, shining light … personified by a goofy laugh, cheesy smile, and a huge, caring heart. He was taken from his family and friends in the most senseless of ways. His three brothers will miss their big brother greatly, and his parents’ dreams for him will never be realized,” the organizer wrote on Dominic’s GoFundMe page.

The organizers of the GoFundMe pages have not responded to USA TODAY for a request for comment.

Community members began placing flowers and cards outside the high school Thursday, and later that evening a vigil was held at the town’s Central Park. Students tied blue and silver balloons to a makeshift memorial, and members of the school’s Air Force Junior ROTC saluted the victims.

Despite uncertainty around whether the school’s football game Friday night would proceed, the Hart School District did not cancel the playoff.

Chants of “Saugus Strong!” rang out across the field as players wore Saugus Strong stickers on their helmets and students displayed signs saying “We Hart Saugus.” The students held a moment of silence and released balloons into the sky, according to local news outlet KHTS.

Several web pages offering support to those affected cropped up in the wake of the shooting.

A Facebook group dedicated to the Saugus Strong movement gained nearly 1,200 members during its first 24 hours. On Friday, the city of Santa Clarita launched a Saugus Strong website, which provides the community resources and encourages viewers worldwide to submit messages of love and support. By Saturday morning, the website had received more than 200 messages from across six continents.

‘Their actions saved lives’:Off-duty officers rushed to Saugus after hearing shots

Another vigil, “Saugus Strong,” is scheduled for 7 p.m. PT Sunday at Central Park. Sebastian Cazares, a Saugus alum and student body president at the local college, is helping to plan the vigil.

“I remember just a year ago when Parkland happened, me and hundreds of students stood up right in the quad to demand change and to make sure this tragedy never would happen again. We wrote letters to our representatives, and we passionately engaged in activism to stop these tragedies,” Cazares wrote in a Facebook post Thursday. “Little did I know at the time that at that same exact spot only a year or so later, our school would make the news and become another statistic.”

Community members can find support and resources at saugusstrong.org.

Source Article from https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/11/16/santa-clarita-mourns-shooting-victims-gracie-muehlberger-dominic-blackwell/4213427002/

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‘Funny, loyal, light of our lives’: Santa Clarita mourns victims of Saugus school shooting – USA TODAY

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