Woman killed in random shooting was working toward dream career as firefighter paramedic
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VANCOUVER, Washington (KPTV Staff) — The 20-year-old Vancouver woman killed in a random shooting at her workplace was also a volunteer emergency medical technician with dreams of being a firefighter paramedic.
Liliya Zagariya was shot Tuesday by 58-year-old Douglas Moore while working as a concierge for PeaceHealth at a medical office building adjacent from the hospital.
Police said there appears to be no connection between the two and the shooting was random.
After shooting Zagariya, Moore turned the gun on himself. Both died in the hospital from their wounds.
In addition to working for PeaceHealth, Zagariya served as a volunteer for Cowlitz 2 Fire and Rescue in Kelso.
Lt. Bryan Ditterick, a public information officer with Cowlitz 2 Fire and Rescue, said Zagariya had been with the department since May and obtained her EMT license in January.
“She was on our shift quite a bit,” Ditterick said. “She was a vibrant young lady; she was well-liked by the firefighters. She was always eager to help and would ask questions when we were on medical calls.”
Wednesday, PeaceHealth’s eye clinic inside the facility remained closed.
The healthcare group sent Fox 12 a statement that reads in part, “our healthcare community suffered a tragic and heartbreaking loss yesterday when one of our caregivers, Liliya Zagariya, was shot…Our thoughts, support and prayers go out to her family. All of us grieve with them.”
In a GoFundMe account for Zagariya, the young woman is described as an “Amazing and wonderful daughter, sister and friend. She lit up the room with her presence and always had a smile on her face. Her death was so sudden and was taken away from us so quickly it is hard to grasp and comprehend all of this at the moment. Though it is hard, we count it all as joy for we know that Liliya is with Jesus.”
Zagariya died just before she was about to embark on a new adventure. In January, she was set to start Cowlitz 2’s fire academy. Her fire colleagues said her future was bright.
“She just had that impact,” Ditterick said. “You know she was going to be successful in fire service, it was very competitive.”
“It’s just a tragic thing to hear,” Ditterick said. “Our hearts go out to her friends and family.”
As of Wednesday night, The GoFundMe account has raised more than $28,000.
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