Students, family hold vigil for Ingraham High student shot in November

The last time Elrohi Shuge got together with Ebenezer Haile, it was to give the boy she thought of as a little brother a ride to a friend’s house. When they got there, the 17-year-old asked her: “Do you need anything? Do you need any gas?”

That spoke to his maturity and his big heart, she said. 

“In that moment, he knew how much I was dealing with,”said Shuge, a family friend and recent graduate of the University of Washington who was mourning the death of a family member at the time. 

On Wednesday, Shuge led dozens of Haile’s family members and friends from 130th Street and Aurora Avenue North to Ingraham High School to remember the Ingraham senior and to urge better safety in schools. 

Haile was shot and killed at the North Seattle school nearly six months ago by another student.

Shuge’s and Haile’s families were close when they were growing up in Ethiopia. She spent every day with him in the summer before his senior year, tutoring him.

“He was very disciplined,” Shuge said. “He was one of the most charismatic people I’ve ever met.”

The vigil was organized by Haile’s family. More than 50 students, many wearing white T-shirts with Haile’s photo printed on the front, gathered to honor his life, and also to call for stricter gun control. Students from other Seattle schools, as well as community members, also attended.

“We appreciate the students and families who continue to raise their voice in the face of this grim reminder of the work to be done to address gun violence,” a statement from Seattle Public Schools officials said.

Superintendent Brent Jones is planning to update the community on the progress of the safety initiative he launched the week of the shooting, officials said. Ingraham Principal Martin Floe and Jones are also planning a meeting with a parent group, Friends of Ingraham, whose members have been vocal about stricter safety protocols at schools.

As Haile’s mom, Tsedale Woldemariam, approached the crowd gathered in front of Ingraham, she teared up, remembering it was the last place she saw her son alive. She tried to address the crowd, but couldn’t get many words out.

“He was a charming boy, honest and loving,” said Mesfin Bulti, a pastor at Word of God Evangelical Church in Lynnwood.

Bulti said he knew Haile and his family since Haile was a small child in Ethiopia. “He had lots of aspirations to grow and contribute to the community,” Bulti said.

Speakers said Haile was humble, down to earth and compassionate. He played basketball frequently at community centers in the area. And he spent a lot of time with his friends and family.

“I want people to know he’s not just another statistic, he’s not just another number,” Shuge said. “He has family members, he has siblings, he comes from such a versatile background. He’s not just an Ethiopian American kid who passed away at 17 at the hands of gun violence.”

His aunt, Marta Woldemariam, said he was kind, trusting, and would never hurt anybody. “That’s why he gave his back to someone. He was just walking away.”

Haile was shot five times in the back on Nov. 8 by a 14-year-old in the school’s hallway. The shooting occurred after multiple students had fought in the bathroom. The 14-year-old was charged with first-degree murder and assault.

Another student, who was 15 at the time, was arrested in connection with the shooting. He is charged with felony first-degree rendering criminal assistance. The Glock 32 handgun believed to be used in the shooting was found in the 15-year-old’s backpack after the shooting. 

Both former Ingraham students are also charged with second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.

Haile’s death caused uproar in the community, and students and families have rallied, protested and called on state and city leaders to tighten gun laws.

A number of Ingraham parents spoke at Wednesday night’s regular Seattle School Board meeting asking for more transparency on safety initiatives and the audit Jones said was being done about the shooting.

“I don’t want my kid to go to school and hide under tables,” said Hannah Eshete, Haile’s aunt. Referring to him by his nickname, she said: “We need justice for Ebe.”

On Wednesday, one participant brought a report she said Haile wrote in 2016 about gun violence. In it, Haile called for background checks, including of mental illness records, for people who wish to purchase a gun. “We should write a bill to make the background check law better,” he wrote.

This week Washington became the 10th state to prohibit the sale of AR-15s and other kinds of semi-automatic weapons. Gov. Jay Inslee also signed into law two other gun measures Tuesday, one that sets a 10-day waiting period on firearm purchases and another that holds gunmakers liable for negligent sales. 

Supporters of the new gun laws say they will help prevent mass shootings and reduce gun violence and suicides. Opponents say they’re unconstitutional and have filed a lawsuit to strike down the measures.

Students and families who attended Wednesday’s vigil still have safety concerns. Just last week, Seattle police confiscated a gun from a Nathan Hale High School student. A video on social media showed a student holding a gun in an Ingraham High parking lot. The video was reported to Seattle Public Schools officials on April 20.

The Nathan Hale student attends morning classes at Ingraham High. Police officers spoke with the student when he was back at Nathan Hale and confiscated the gun there. 

Another deadly incident occurred outside Nathan Hale High this month when Anthoni Orozco, 27, was shot on April 5 and died the following day at Harborview Medical Center.

Kajali Camara, also known as Kajali Freeman, was charged with second-degree murder. He’s also charged with second-degree assault for trying to shoot an 18-year-old woman who planned to meet him outside the school. The dispute was over a stolen PlayStation and a sex video Camara allegedly had.

Camara, 19, remains in jail on a $2 million bail. 

To report a threat to Seattle Public Schools, call the SPS Safe Schools Hotline at 206-252-0510. The line is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.