Pakistani teen's family visits Texas school where she died

SANTA FE, Texas (AP) — The family of a Pakistani exchange student who was one of 10 people killed in a mass shooting at a Texas high school last year traveled to the U.S and visited the school and community this week, wanting to learn more about the nine months she had spent there, including her final moments.

Sabika Aziz Sheikh's father, three siblings and cousin entered the Santa Fe High School art classroom where the 17-year-old was shot as she hid with other students in a storage closet. Her mother, Farah Naz, couldn't bring herself to take the final steps into the room, explaining in Urdu through an interpreter that the image "would stay with me ... throughout my whole life."

Although the family knew their two-week visit to the Houston area would be difficult, they felt Sabika would have wanted them to make the trip from Karachi, which also allowed them to personally thank people for their support, particularly residents of Santa Fe.

"We're still trying to grapple with the puzzle pieces, what her final moments were for her. The thought of it is so traumatizing," said Sabika's cousin Shaheera Jalil Albasit, who served as the family's interpreter during an interview Wednesday with The Associated Press. Although Albasit came to Santa Fe right after the shooting, it is the first visit for the rest of the family.

In addition to visiting the school, they met with Sabika's Santa Fe host family and with the prosecutors handling the case against the student charged with carrying out the attack. They also plan to meet with family members of other shooting victims.

"I knew this was going to be hard, but I had to do it," Sania Aziz Sheikh, Sabika's 15-year-old sister, said about visiting Santa Fe. Also on the trip were her 11-year-old sister, Soha, and her 14-year old brother, Ali.

Sabika, seven other students and two...