By Cathy Logg
Herald Writer
MARYSVILLE — When police and paramedics arrived at an apartment complex Wednesday night, a 17-year-old boy was trying desperately to revive his best friend, who had been shot in the face.
Authorities interrupted softball games at fields adjacent to the Casita Villa apartment complex, located in the 6900 block of 47th Avenue NE, for a medical evacuation helicopter to land and airlift the wounded teen to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
But Chase Roodzant, 17, died shortly after midnight, hospital spokeswoman Kristin Foley said.
Investigators say Roodzant’s friend was holding the gun when it went off, and the shooting appears to be an accident. The two teens were visiting the renter of the apartment, who had walked out of the room when the gun went off, Marysville police Cmdr. Robb Lamoureux said.
The youth was being held in the Denney Juvenile Justice Center on $25,000 bail.
Roodzant had been shot with a 9 mm handgun shortly before 7 p.m., Lamoureux. The King County Medical Examiner determined the death was a homicide, medical investigator Don Halberg said Thursday.
Jim Townsend, chief criminal deputy prosecutor, said his office was still trying to sort out the details of the shooting.
"It’s really vague right now," Townsend said. "The investigation is ongoing and we hope to get more information."
Police worked late into the night Wednesday at the apartment, which is rented by a 26-year-old man, Lamoureux said. Investigators returned early Thursday morning and remained there until evening.
Now, Roodzant’s family and friends have established a memorial at a fence on the sidewalk in front of the apartment where the shooting occurred. Tulips, roses and carnations adorned the fence, along with balloons, candles, posters with color photos of a smiling Chase with friends and family members, and tributes penned in many colors. At the base of the fence, friends laid tributes with sentimental meanings, including a bag of Pep-O-Mint Life Savers, which Chase liked, and a Snickers tin.
"He was a real great kid," said Jim Roepke, Roodzant’s uncle. "He loved sports, he was a big basketball player. He had a lot of friends, he was just a very kind person. This is just a real tragedy for both families involved."
Roodzant’s death hit Marysville-Pilchuck High School hard, principal Peggy Ellis said. He is the sixth student to have died so far this year — four were killed in car accidents and one was killed while crossing a road.
Roodzant withdrew from the school last year and was in a home-school program this year, but he grew up in Marysville and attended district schools all his life. He was popular with students and staff alike, she said.
Counselors were on hand Thursday to help students deal with their grief. School officials called some students’ parents to come and be with them when they learned of Roodzant’s death, Ellis said.
"The bigger picture here is that our students have had to deal with quite a lot of tragedy this year," Ellis said. "Chase was a dear boy. He grew up here."
Many staff members who knew him in middle school moved up to the high school and also knew him there, she said.
"Chase had some very close relationships here. He went camping and hung out from the time he was a little guy," Ellis said. "He played parks and recreation basketball. Our staff was very close with Chase. He was a person who got along well with other people, he supported them and they supported him."
Ellis announced Roodzant’s death to the school in the morning and met with staff members in the afternoon.
"He was a real great kid," said Robbie Fuller, 17, a friend who went to the memorial site. "That kid could shoot some hoops. He played pretty good."
"He was just a cool guy," added Cara Nitz, 17, another friend. "He was fun to be around. Just one of the boys."
Teens stayed by the memorial, sitting in lawn chairs and greeting friends as they came by and talked about memories with Chase. Adults came too, to cry, to add to the memorial and take pictures.
A neighbor who lives near the apartments said her granddaughter was one of his friends.
"He’ll really be missed," she said.
Reporters Jim Haley and Scott North contributed to this report.
You can call Herald Writer Cathy Logg at 425-339-3437
or send e-mail to logg@heraldnet.com.
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