March 10, 2001

This was probably not a job Gov. Gray Davis envisioned he'd be doing while in office: visiting hospitalized teens wounded in a high school shooting.

But yesterday Davis performed such a duty, visiting the two teens still recovering from Monday's shooting at Santana High School, the Santee school from which Davis' wife, Sharon, graduated.

A solemn Davis said he was grieving for the families touched by the tragedy and called for parents and children to try to communicate better.

"The first priority," he said, "is to keep children safe."

Davis talked briefly to reporters at the San Diego Navy Medical Center before visiting Melisa McNulty, 15, one of two students still hospitalized.

Melisa suffered a gunshot wound to her left forearm. She has had two surgeries and remains in good condition. She could be released early next week.

Davis also visited Raymond Serrato, 17, who's recovering at UCSD Medical Center from a chest wound.

In all, 13 people were injured. Two were killed, Bryan Zuckor, 14, and Randy Gordon, 17. The Santana shooting was one of the worst acts of school violence in the nation's history.

Davis said that Serrato, who is also listed in good condition, "looked great."

"He's in great spirits," Davis said.

Earlier in the week, the state's first lady visited other shooting victims.

Yesterday, victim Scott Marshall went home. He was released from Sharp Memorial Hospital, where he had undergone treatment for two gunshot wounds to the back.