Father convicted on gun charges one year after son killed four in Seattle school shooting

By Fusion Staff  |  September 30, 2015 | 3:10pm
Latest

A jury in a U.S. District Court in Seattle has found Raymond Fryberg guilty of illegal gun possession, including the gun his son used in a school shooting that left four other students dead in 2014.

The shooting occurred last October at Marysville-Pilchuk High School in suburban Seattle. Fifteen-year-old Jaylen Fryberg, using his father’s handgun (a Beretta PX4 Storm pistol), opened fire in the school cafeteria, killing four students and critically injuring another before turning the gun on himself.

The gun charges Raymond Fryberg, 42, faced stemmed from a 2002 domestic violence protection order that barred him from owning firearms. Fryberg contended he was unaware of the protection order against him.

Fryberg was convicted on six counts of illegal gun possession and faces a maximum of 18 months in prison.

His attorney, John Henry Browne, told reporters following the verdict that the trial never should have been held in Seattle. “All of the jurors knew about the Marysville-Pilchuck shooting,” he said. “The judge asked them to put it out of their heads. How do you do that? It’s like putting 9/11 out of your head.”

According to NBC News, Raymond Fryberg did not testify and Browne called no witnesses during the three-day trial.

David Matthews operates the Wayback Machine on Fusion.net—hop on. Got a tip? Email him: [email protected]

 
Join the discussion...