A high school ballplayer good enough to catch the eye of college recruiters.
Another excels at bowling and golf.
A girl playing volleyball and basketball. Another beloved art.
Four teenagers pursuing different passions but all their lives were cut short in a school shooting at Oxford High School on Tuesday afternoon.
Tate Myre, 16 years old, Madisyn Baldwin, 17 years oldand Hana St. Juliana, 14 years old, died within hours of the shooting. Justin Shilling, 17, survived for another day, before dying at a local hospital.
Their names join the series of others who have died in schools across the country as part of an ongoing disaster of gun violence.
In addition to the four youths killed, seven other people – students Phoebe Arthur, John Asciutto, Riley Franz, Elijah Mueller, Kylie Ossege and Aiden Watson as well as teacher Molly Darnell – were also wounded in a barrage, according to authorities.
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Tate Myre: Honors Student, Soccer Player
Tate Myre played back, tight finisher and defender for Oxford’s side. He also struggled. His player profile lists him as 6 feet tall, 195 pounds. He is an honors student with a 3.9 GPA.
He is the youngest child in a family of three brothers. Tate’s father, Buck, heads the soccer team’s parent group, arranging dinners and assisting with fundraising.
“It’s an all-American family,” said JR Laefner, a family friend who worked as a public address broadcaster at school football games. “If you get stuck or if you need anything, they are there to help. They are there for the kids. They love school. They’re just a related high school family. “
Three days before the shooting, he was attending a football game at the University of Toledo. In a tweet the next day, he thanked the coaches for the invitation and included a photo of himself near the end zone. He wore an Oxford-style jacket with a pass around his neck.
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At the end of October, Tate appeared in an online video, celebrated the team’s difficulty as they came back from a 0-3 loss to reach the knockout stages, where Oxford beat rival Clarkston.
By the end of Wednesday, more than 70,000 people had signed an online petition to rename the school football stadium in his honor.
Madisyn Baldwin: Aspiring artist, ‘beautiful, smart, sweet’
Madisyn Baldwin was described by Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald as “a gifted artist and a big sister.” Friends have posted online praising her abilities.
“This beautiful, intelligent, sweet loving girl was tragically taken from all of us today, leaving a huge hole in our hearts and lives,” her grandmother , Jennifer Graves Mosqueda, wrote in a public post on the online fundraiser GoFundMe.com.
Free press verify account.
Pastor Liz Wilson from Immanuel Unified Christ Church in Oxford Village said she spoke with Baldwin’s grandmother, a member of the congregation, about Tuesday night and has offered to support the community following the shooting.
“I might have to have a funeral and that would be the worst nightmare in the world,” she said.
Hana St. Juliana: ‘One of the happiest and funniest kids’
In announcing the charges against the alleged shooter, McDonald’s said Wednesday that she spoke with the fathers of two of the dead teenagers. And one of them, McDonald said, wanted people to know that his 14-year-old daughter, Hana St. Juliana, “is one of the happiest and funniest kids.”
Arriving at home in Brandon Township, Steven St. Juliana said he had no intention of speaking to the Free Press, which is part of the USA TODAY Network, and referred a reporter to a friend in the neighborhood, Jennifer Curtis.
Curtis says Hana is “kind, gentle and generous, truly one of the best kids we’ve ever known. She was a special child, always willing to help.”
She said she and her husband are both educators, and that Hana is a good student and is “a joy to be in the classroom.”
“She was a good kid who wanted to do the right thing and be a good person,” Curtis said.
“She always had kind words to say about people and didn’t engage in negative talk,” says Curtis.
Hana used to be on the basketball and volleyball teams at Oxford High, and she loves learning to cook, says Curtis.
Curtis said the two families became close as their children went to school together for many years. She says families like to sport together, go on vacation together, and treat each other. Their lives are intertwined in many ways, she said.
Justin Shilling: ‘Simply a pleasure to be around’
Justin Shilling played on Oxford’s golf team and was also a member of the bowling team, where he averaged 161, according to Go to Mhsbowling.com.
Last season, Justin won 32 games, lost 5 and drew 1, according to records.
Justin worked at the Lake Orion location of Anita’s Kitchen, a Middle Eastern restaurant.
“We have just learned of the passing of one of the bright, young Lake Orion employees, Justin Shilling, in connection with the tragic events that took place at Oxford High School yesterday,” the company posted on its Facebook page. “Justin is an exemplary employee, a devoted friend and colleague, co-captain of his bowling team, and simply a joy to be around. We always think of family and friends. his at this difficult time.”
Follow John Wisely on Twitter: @jwisely
