"We just need to stay close to our students," Sagaser said, "and we need this time to make things as right as we can. Fair Play is a small community; we're like a family. The blessing is we're all hurting together."
The shooting was at the family's home at 698 E. 430th Road, west of Bolivar. Area school districts sent counselors to talk to Fair Play students and staff about the death.
Sierra Elliott's 15-year-old half brother is in custody after turning in himself to police in the Kansas City area on Saturday night. His mother lives in the Kansas City area.
When the girl's mother, Peggy Elliott, arrived home on Saturday night, she found Sierra shot and the boy and a pickup were gone. Law enforcement officers found the pickup at a store parking lot in Clinton on Sunday night. No one has said how the boy got from Clinton to the Kansas City area.
Polk County Coroner Roy Harms said an autopsy will be conducted in Springfield by Southwest Missouri Forensics.
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Edited news release on Monday morning from Polk County Sheriff's Department:
On Saturday night at approximately 8:48, the Polk County Sheriff’s Department received a call from dispatch that a 12-year-old girl was shot. When deputies arrived at the home, medical personnel were attending to the girl.
The shooting was reported by the mother of the victim. She said the victim and her brother were alone at the home for approximately 30 minutes. Upon their arrival at the home, they found the victim, but the brother and a 2005 Ford pickup were gone.
The brother was found in the Kansas City area with his biological mother. The boy was taken into custody by Juvenile authorities and is being held pending the investigation.
On Sunday at approximately 11:45 p.m., the Polk County Sheriff’s Department heard from the Missouri State Highway Patrol that the Ford pickup was located in the Wal-Mart parking lot in Clinton. The vehicle was towed and secured pending the investigation.
The shooting investigation is ongoing.
