Sam Strahan was shot to death when he tried to stop a student on a shooting spree this week, just a few months after the family had endured another tragedy.
Strahan was a sophomore at Freeman High School in Washington and reportedly tried to confront a fellow sophomore who pulled out a gun and opened fire on Wednesday morning. As the Spokesman-Review reported, Sam was fatally shot by the student just before a member of the school’s custodial staff was able to stop the gunman.
The gunman was identified as Caleb Sharpe, one of Sam Strahan’s closest friends. As Hollywood Life reported, Sharpe pulled a gun from a black duffel bag and tried to open fire, but the gun initially jammed. It was then that Strahan tried to talk to his friend, imploring him not to shoot anyone.
But Sharpe was able to repair his weapon and fired a single shot at his friend, hitting Strahan in the head and killing him instantly.
Friends and fellow students remembered Sam Strahan as a hero.
“Seeing him grow up to be such a positive and happy spirit to others around him was inspiring,” Jennifer Guenther, a longtime friend of Sam’s college-aged sister, told The Spokesman-Review . “Sam was a brother who loved and cared for his older sister and always watched out for his mother.”
A student and a staffer stepped in to stop a classmate who opened fire in a high school. The student didn’t survive. https://t.co/iDrYKtDDXV
— AP Climate (@AP_Climate) September 14, 2017
The family is now dealing with its second tragic death in just a few weeks. On Father’s Day, Sam’s father was killed when a motor home he was working on broke loose and crushed him, the Spokesman-Review noted.
A candlelight vigil was held for Strahan this week, drawing many friends who shared memories of the 15-year-old and sent condolences to his surviving family members; his mother, Ami, and his college-age sister, Emily. Many others noted that his final act was one that likely saved many lives. Students said Strahan was able to delay the school shooter long enough for another staff member to confront the student, keeping him from killing any others. Three other female students were hit by gunfire, but none of the injuries were considered life-threatening.
His dad died in tragic accident on Father’s Day. Today at #FreemanHS Sam Strahan died confronting school shooter https://t.co/U0lUnWkhY2 pic.twitter.com/vGueWDCwMg
— The Spokesman-Review (@SpokesmanReview) September 14, 2017
After Sam Strahan’s shooting death, friends and family members have contributed to a GoFundMe page that had originally been set up for Sam and his sister, Emily, after their father’s death. The fundraiser has raised more than $55,000 toward a $100,000 goal.
[Featured Image by Eric Strahan/ GoFundMe ]
