High School Student Shot, Killed At Waltham Apartment Complex
WALTHAM (CBS) - A high school student was shot and killed in Waltham late Thursday night, the Middlesex District Attorney confirmed Friday.
Police were called to the parking lot of an apartment complex at Middlesex Circle just after 10 p.m. for a report of shots fired.
They found Tyler Zanco, 17, of Waltham, suffering from a gunshot wound.
He was rushed to Newton Wellesley Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Zanco was a high school senior and co-captain of Waltham High's wrestling team.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Karen Twomey reports
Waltham High School Student Shot, Killed At Apartment Complex
There have been no arrests at this point in the investigation. But authorities do not believe the shooting was a random attack. Anyone with any information is urged to call Waltham Police at 781-314-3607 or State Police at 781-897-6600.
"We have encouraged all students to seek out an adult if they feel confused, unsafe, or simply need to talk to someone," Waltham Public Schools Superintendent Susan Nicholson said in a statement Friday afternoon, calling Zanco's death a "profound loss."
Andy Merritt got to know Tyler well over the past couple of years. The two were paired up when Tyler was a sophomore as part of a mentor program at Waltham High School. At the time, Merritt was the editor at the Waltham News Tribune.
"The cliché here is to say he was a good kid, but it's not just a cliché," Merritt says. "He was a really amazing kid and he had a ton of potential."
Tyler's classmates have described him as friendly and outgoing, and Merritt says that's true. He says Tyler had a charisma and personality that drew people to him.
"The grief is hard enough to deal with," he explained, "but there's this layer of frustration that I'm not going to get to see what he was going to turn out to be."
"He was a kid who was really driven," Merritt continued. "He had a lot of different options and choices and things he wanted to do. I was always pretty confident he'd be successful."
Waltham High School will be open Saturday 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. so support personnel can be available to students and families in town.
Resources will also be available on the district website.
"Waltham High School's students and staff and in fact the entire school district are known for being caring and supportive. Together we will get through this tragedy," Nicholson said.
WBZ-TV's Jim Armstrong contributed to this report
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