Siegel student, 15, dies from Saturday gunshot wound

MURFREESBORO - Mason Loupe, a Siegel High School sophomore who suffered a gunshot wound to the head Saturday night, was pronounced dead Wednesday afternoon, a Vanderbilt University Medical Center spokesperson in Nashville confirmed.

The 15-year-old football player and wrestler was declared brain dead less than four days after the shooting that occurred at his family’s home Saturday night, according to the Vanderbilt spokesperson.

Foul play is not suspected in the case, said  Sgt. Kyle Evans, Murfreesboro Police Department spokesman, earlier this week.

Local and state investigators are examining the evidence and circumstances tied to the case, he said.

The Loupe family, mother Melanie and sister Cierra, asked for privacy in the hours after Loupe’s death, according to a Facebook post from family spokesman Jay Priestley.

"They have been so blessed by the amazing outpouring of support that you all have sent their way, and they are so appreciative of that," Priestley wrote on the Mason Loupe 411 page. The Daily News Journal obtained the spokesman's permission to quote him from the site.

"However, they now need their time to quietly cope with the reality of this loss. Please honor their request and grant them their peace.”

Funeral arrangements were not set Wednesday as the teenager’s organs were being donated to others at the request of his family, Priestley said.

"His body is going to give the gift of life for eight other people to live,” Priestley said. “The recipients of these organs will remain unknown (to protect the privacy of those patients), but rest assured that Mason will live on through them."

Community mourns, honors student-athlete

Siegel High faculty and students learned about Loupe’s passing minutes after he was declared dead at 2:13 p.m. at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Principal Larry Creasy announced the death to the Siegel community over the intercom and allowed students to speak to counselors and meet their classmates to “grieve in their own way,” he said.

“It was very quiet, very somber,” Creasy said. “Just a tough day.”

The football team was told about their teammate’s death in their field house before the regularly scheduled practice Wednesday.

The team practiced that afternoon as an effort to keep things as routine as possible for the team, said head football coach Greg Wyant.

The coach said that while the hearts of his team were broken, he was proud at how they handled the week and how they want to remember him.

“I’ll remember how hard of a worker he was and how competitive he was," Wyant said. "And I’ll remember the smile on his face. He was a great competitor who enjoyed life off the field."

Siegel wrestling coach Lee Ramsey remembered Mason as an athlete with a strong spirit and an optimism that never waned.

“He was one of those kids that had an infectious smile,” Ramsey said. “You never saw him outside of competition without a smile on his face. He was always upbeat.”

“He was the most fierce competitor, but off the mat and the football field, he had a smile that could light up a room.”

Students, faculty and supporters had rallied around Mason and his family in the days he was in the hospital by holding several prayer vigils and raising thousands of dollars for the family's expenses through various events.

After the final bell at Siegel High on Wednesday, hundreds of paper “Loops for Loupe” hung in the front of the school’s lobby to honor the sophomore.

“Mason was always a fighter,” said Ashley Lawson, a Siegel junior. “He never settled for average. He always had a smile on his face. Toughest kid I’ve ever met.”

Many supporters leaned on their faith in the days after the shooting, praying for healing as the teenager went into a medically induced coma and underwent a brain scan afterward.

Though many were glad to see Mason out of pain, they still grieved his loss and the days to come.

“I don’t know if it can be any worse than today,” Ramsey said. “When that announcement came, I could feel a weight lifted, knowing he’s not hurting anymore. There will be a personal struggle that we’re about to face. I want to be happy for him, but you know we’re going to have some hard times coming.”

The community that supported the Loupe family since Saturday already planned more events and rallies in the hours after his death.

An early-morning prayer vigil is scheduled Thursday at the Siegel High School courtyard, and the Oakland High School girl’s soccer team will donate its proceeds from its Thursday home game to the family.

Melanie Loupe asked for those coming to the as-yet unscheduled funeral to wear the “22 Reasons” T-shirt designed to support Mason,the family spokesman said. The 22, he said, represented the number he wore as a football player.

When the Siegel football team kicks off at Oakland High School on Friday night, that number will be on the back of the players helmets, Creasy said.

“They have been great teammates to each other," said Wyant, the football coach. "They want to try to honor him.”

Reach Brian Wilson at 615-278-5165. Follow him on Twitter @brianwilson17.

How to help

More than $10,000 has been raised to support the Loupe family through a GoFundMe account. To provide a donation, go to www.gofundme.com/9s3r3k6g.

To purchase a "22 Reasons" t-shirt, go www.twentytworeasons.org.