A woman in Everett, Washington may have thwarted a school shooting one day before a teen opened fire at a high school in Parkland, Florida, NBC News reports.
Catherine Katsel-O’Connor called 911 on Tuesday after reading her grandson Joshua Alexander O’Connor’s journal the night before, finding disturbing entries that appeared to see the teen planning a school shooting.
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“I’m preparing myself for the school shooting,” the journal read, according to court documents. “I can’t wait. My aim has gotten much more accurate … I can’t wait to walk into that class and blow all those f—ers away.”
The 18-year-old wrote that he used a “coin flip” to chose to target CES High School rather than Kamiak High School.
O’Connor also wrote about making pressure cooker bombs and activating defused grenades he had purchased, according to documents. He also detailed where he would place them around the school.
“I’ve been thinking alot [sic],” the teen wrote. “I need to make this shooting/bombing at Kamiak infamous. I need to get the biggest fatality number I possibly can. I need to make this count.”
“I’ve been reviewing many mass shootings/bombings (and attempted bombings),” he continued. “I’m learning from past shooters/bombers mistakes, so I don’t make the same ones.”
O’Connor was pulled from class after police were notified, where police were waiting to arrest him. While in custody, he attempted to escape, running across the parking lot and falling. When an officer caught up with him, the teen “mule kicked” the officer in the leg.
O’Connor was charged with attempted murder and assault of a police officer, as well as armed robbery on Monday night. He had planned to use the funds from the robbery to bankroll the shooting, deputy prosecutor Andrew Alsdorf as saying in court on Wednesday. The teen’s bail is set at $5 million.
On Wednesday, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz opened fire in the hallways of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, killing 14 students and three adults.
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