Fundraisers For Maryland School Shooting Victims Established

ST. MARY'S COUNTY, MD — Donations are pouring in to support the 16-year-old girl and 14-year-old boy shot at Great Mills High School on Tuesday in St. Mary's County. The teens were at school when a peer opened fire before the start of classes. Both survived and were being treated at area hospitals, officials said. The gunman, a 17-year-old student, was fatally shot.

The girl who was shot was identified by family members as Jaelynn Willey, 16, according to WTOP.

The 16-year-old girl was in intensive care with life-threatening injuries, St. Mary's County Sheriff Timothy Cameron said. The 14-year-old boy, who had been shot in the leg, was in stable condition at MedStar St. Mary's Hospital and was released Wednesday.

Willey reportedly remained in critical condition at the University of Maryland Prince George's Hospital Center as a donation page raised more than $47,600 as of Wednesday afternoon for her family. More than 1,300 people donated.

The teen is the eldest daughter of nine children, whom she babysits daily. She is an active swim team member, and she gives off a "peaceful presence and love of her fellow students and family," according to a statement her uncle provided on the YouCaring donation page.

"Please continue to send her all the healing thoughts and prayers that you can..." said the YouCaring page organizer, who identified herself as a family friend. "Please continue to share her story, as the more prayer warriors and love she has coming towards her, the sooner we will hear good news."

Some shared their reflections of Willey on the donation page.

"I am her ASL teacher and every day, she greets me with a smile, and ask how I am doing. Prayers for her speedy recovery and prayers of strength for her family are needed," wrote one.

Contributors to the donation drive also included, among many others, those who identified themselves as the "Eagles Swim Team" and "a fellow Southern Maryland swimmer <3."

A YouCaring page was also set up for the 14-year old boy who was shot in the leg, identified on the donation site as Desmond Barnes. More than $14,000 was raised by Wednesday afternoon by more than 400 donors.

Multiple people said when they thought of him, what came to mind were his radiant smile and his likability.

At a nondenominational service at Church of the Ascension in Lexington Park Tuesday evening, community members processed the shootings, which occurred about seven miles away. There was a prayer wall where people could share their wishes, and WTOP reported one message read: "Please choose love."

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The shooter, 17-year-old Austin Wyatt Rollins, had a prior relationship with the girl he shot, the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office reported on Wednesday afternoon. The relationship had recently ended, officials said.

Authorities said that Rollins shot and injured two of his peers before he and the school resource officer both fired their weapons at 7:55 a.m., according to officials. Officials are investigating whether Rollins was fatally shot by the officer's bullet or his own.

Officials said that Rollins used a gun that was legally owned by his father, while other aspects of the shooting were still being probed.

"The investigation has not yet uncovered any public social media posts/threats made by Rollins. Detectives are continuing to interview friends, family and associates of Rollins to obtain further information," the sheriff's office said in a statement Wednesday afternoon. "Once all facts are collected and verified, information will be disseminated to the public."

The principal of Great Mills High School said that the building would be closed until April 2.

"Words cannot express the sadness and grief that our school community is feeling right now," Principal Jake Heibel said in a statement on the Great Mills High School website in the aftermath of the shooting.

Heibel noted that the community was "shaken and scared" but said he was sure Great Mills would overcome the tragedy.

"Now more than ever we need to stand together as a school community to love, cherish, and support one another," Heibel said. "We have and we will continue to stay strong, stay together, and find a way to get through this."

Great Mills High School set up three sites for counseling services on Wednesday and is providing a crisis hotline that students can use as they process the events that unfolded at their school on Tuesday. The hotline is run through Walden Sierra, a southern Maryland-based crisis center, and will be available at 301-863-6661.

Above, after a prayer service was held at Church of the Ascension in Lexington Park on Tuesday night, the church called for continued prayers on Wednesday as well.

MAIN PHOTO: Students and guardians reunited after a school shooting at Great Mills High School March 20, 2018, in Leonardtown, Maryland. Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images.