Father of student shot near high school urges shooter to come forward
Dec 9, 2017, 3:20 PM
A Pierce County Sheriff's Dept. deputy stands between two vehicles near Graham-Kapowsin High School. (AP)
(AP)
By: Jessica Oh
Several days after a student from Graham-Kapowsin High School was shot several times, the father of the victim is urging the shooter to come forward.
John Villagomez says the past few days have been surreal.
“He was shot three times in the lower right abdomen and once in the upper right thigh,” Villagomez says, “It’s going to be a real slow recovery process. He can’t even eat right now.”
His 16-year-old son, Kyler Codute Storey, is in intensive care after undergoing two surgeries. It’s unclear whether he will make a full recovery.
“Seeing the pain on his face is sad, depressing and frustrating,” his father said.
According to investigators with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, Storey and his friend were outside Graham-Kapowsin High School Tuesday to watch a planned fight between classmates.
New video obtained by KIRO 7 shows several people driving away in a green Chevy Impala. As the car drives away, at least five shots are fired into a crowd of high school students. Investigators say Storey and another 16-year-old student were shot. The other teen was hit once in the leg and is expected to make a full recovery. Police say the two students were bystanders.
“To be the victim from somebody you don’t even know in a situation you weren’t involved in makes it a little more frustrating,” Villagomez said.
Two 17-year-old suspects have been arrested, according to Pierce County investigators. Two more are still on the run, including the person police believe is the shooter. “If he’s willing to pull the trigger on a stranger without being emotionally involved in the situation, what’s going to happen when they really get angry?” Villagomez said.
He hopes the suspects turn themselves it but is confident law enforcement officials will track them down.
“Hopefully he’s alive and in one piece because I honestly don’t want to see any more violence come out of this,” he says.
Villagomez says his son continues to experience physical and emotional trauma as a result of the shooting.
“That to me was one of the most heartbreaking moments because you could just see in his face the fear, the confusion and the frustration,” he said.
Several fundraisers have been established to help the teenager with medical expenses:
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