Kriti Mehrotra
With Netflix’s ‘All the Empty Rooms’ delving into the tragedy of school shootings in a much different light than anyone could have imagined, we get a short documentary unlike any other. That’s because it revolves around two dedicated journalists as they spend 7 years documenting the mostly frozen-in-time bedrooms of all those students who lost their lives in such ordeals. Amongst them was Missouri-born yet California-raised Gracie Anne Muehlberger, a 15-year-old Saugus High School freshman who died in the blink of an eye on November 14, 2019.
Gracie Muehlberger Was Shot in the School Courtyard
Born on October 10, 2004, in St. Louis, Missouri, to Cindy Muehlberger and Bryan Muehlberger, as one of their three children, yet only daughter, Gracie Anne Muehlberger was a joy. According to her parents’ accounts, they had relocated to Santa Clarita, California, when she was just in the second grade, so she always referred to Los Angeles County as her true home. After all, that’s where she grew up to find out who she is and always hoped to be – a funny, loyal, vivacious individual for whom family, friends, as well as fashion, were absolutely everything.
Gracie was also a rather typical teenager by the time 2019 rolled around, as she was developing a Starbucks fixation, an unwavering passion for music, and an interest in all things makeup. As per her parents, she even loved documenting her hobbies or anything else going on in her life through journals and videos, making it clear that she had a very creative touch. It thus comes as no surprise that the 15-year-old was very excited about the upcoming school dance because it would not only be her first but also allow her to aesthetically express herself.
Therefore, when Gracie left home for Saugus High School at around 7:30 am on November 14, 2019, she was very excited since it was the day she could purchase tickets for the dance. That’s precisely what she did right before the first period alongside her best friend, Addison Koegle, only for their world to suddenly turn upside down while they were still in the courtyard. Someone had opened fire – pulling the trigger a total of 6 times – and then the entire scene went eerily quiet. The ordeal had started at 7:38 am and reportedly lasted a total of 16 seconds. During it, Gracie passed away as a bullet had penetrated her backpack before entering her back and then exiting her chest.
Gracie Muehlberger’s Killer and The Saugus High School Shooter Used The Last Bullet on Himself
According to official police records, the person to open fire on the school courtyard on the fateful morning was a seemingly regular 16-year-old junior named Nathaniel “Nate” Berhow. The Boy Scout and cross country runner actually carried out the shooting on his 16th birthday, almost two years after his father had suddenly passed away from a heart attack in December 2017. By all accounts, despite the recent tragedy in his family, he was a good student as he consistently got above-average grades, was taking AP classes, and never caused trouble.
However, it turned out that Nathaniel saw himself as sadistic and psychotic, as per his journals, which also detailed his plans to move to Germany after leaving “a mark” in his homeland. The youngster never mentioned anything about shooting up his school in his diary, nor did he indicate the same to anyone in any capacity in private; yet, he did end up doing it. In all the ensuing investigations, though, officials could never identify a motive: he had written no manifesto, and he didn’t leave a suicide note either. All they could ascertain was that he reportedly had some knowledge about weapons, thanks to his late father having been an avid hunter, so he had used a kit-assembled .45 caliber semiautomatic pistol (aka a Ghost Gun) in the attack.
This particular firearm contains 6 bullets, but it got stuck after Nathaniel fired the first round. He hence took a few seconds to fix it before shooting 4 more times and then turning the gun to his head. In other words, he shot five of his schoolmates prior to using the last bullet on himself – he was rushed to the hospital alongside Addison and 2 others, but he passed away from his injuries the next morning. The other three hospitalized teenagers gradually managed to make a full physical recovery, but the trauma of the attack, as well as losing 15-year-old Gracie Anne Muehlberger and 14-year-old Dominic Michael Blackwell, continues to hang over them and the entire community.
Read More: Jackie Cazares’ Murder Investigation and Timeline
