Relatives of 15-year old Timberview High School shooting victim Zacchaeus Selby Friday said he has falsely been portrayed as a bully who may have incited the shooting by another student.
His mother Iysha Selby said Zacch underwent successful surgery again Friday after receiving several gunshot wounds at the school.
She said he called from the campus Wednesday morning as he lay bleeding.
“He said ‘Momma, Momma I've been shot,’” Iysha Selby said.
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Amid a crowd of police, his mother said she made it to the school under lockdown as he was placed in an ambulance.
“He came out on the stretcher and I ran to the stretcher and I grabbed his hand and he looked up and said ‘I love you.’ And I said I love you, too,” she said.
His mother said Zacch plans to become a doctor because he cares about other people.
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“Just a regular teenager. But, he's loving and he's caring and he's smart and he's silly. He likes to joke and make you laugh,” she said.
Police have confirmed it was the 15-year-old seen doing most of the hitting in the Facebook video of a classroom fight with 18-year-old shooting suspect Timothy Simpkins that occurred before Simpkins pulled a gun from his backpack.
Selby’s grandmother Kathy said the video falsely makes Zacch look like a monster.
“We were shocked. We have never, ever seen him that way before. I've never seen him fight with either his sister or his older brother. He’s mild-mannered, soft-spoken,” Kathy Selby said.
The mother and grandmother declined to discuss what they know about what may have led to the fight because it is still part of the ongoing police investigation.
Simpkins was released from jail Thursday on a $75,000 bond facing three charges of aggravated assault as Selby remained in the hospital.
“I’ve been there by his side the whole time. I haven’t left,” Iysha Selby said.
The mother said her son had been in an induced coma much of his time in the hospital, but that he was doing well after Friday’s operation and a breathing tube had been removed.
But she said more operations may be ahead on a long road of recovery.
She thanked friends and members of the community who have supported the family during this hard time.
A 25-year old teacher who helped break up the fight and then was hit when the shooting began is also in the hospital with less serious injuries.
A third victim was treated and released Wednesday.
The family has set up a GoFundMe account to help with Selby's recovery expenses.
