Emerging Warning Signs of the Killer at Marysville-Pilchuck High School.

UPDATE: 5 NOW Dead, including the gunman and 1 other goes home – read more….

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Jaylen Fryberg (14), Shooter at Maryville-Pilchuck High School

Marysville, Wash: The Marysville-Pilchuck High School 14-year-old student, Jaylen Fryberg, walked into his Seattle-area high school cafeteria on Friday and opened fire, killing now two students (1 at scene, other dies later due to injuries) and shooting three others in the head before turning the gun on himself.

Alex Hatch (a distant Cousin) was sitting close to the shooting and reported looking up at his cousin after the shots rang out and during the time he was reloading.  Alex said. “He had a look on his face like he was just realizing what he did.”

Another student; Luton was sitting two tables away when the shooting began. “He (Fryberg) turned and looked at me and my girlfriend,” he said, “and kind of gave us a smirk.”

Why didn’t we see it (shooting) coming?

Why didn’t we see it coming?

Many in the School and Community were in shock that this could happen at their school and by this  student!

A student said,
“It’s still really saddening to know something happened at your school, and it is just really shocking that something like this could have happened to you,”.”

 LEARN MORE ABOUT WARNING SIGNS

By all accounts, Fryberg was a popular student. Just a week ago, he had been named the high school’s freshman homecoming prince.

But in recent days the shooters mood had turned angry, and his social media accounts suggest relationship issues and some veiled threats.

Let’s look at some of the issues that have come to light:

1. Despondent and Withdrawn
   According to a student who was a tribal member and had know the shooter since preschool reported, a few days before the shooting the shooter’s demeanor changed a lot, “but he refused to talk about it“. In math class, the student noticed that Jaylen (with headphones on) was not doing schoolwork which was not normal and asked what was wrong.   “He said, ‘It doesn’t concern you,’ ” according to that student.
2. Romantic Issues
   In the last few months, weeks and days before the shooting, Jaylen tweeted several messages that may be due to heartbreak.  See quotes from Shooter’s social media accounts:
   • A student reported, he “went through a breakup.” He had been dating the same girl since seventh grade.  It is reported that she attended another school.
   • “I hate that I can’t live without you,” was one. “Tell me what your plan is…. You can’t make a bond with anyone like the bond me and you have right now…. Tell me what your going to do…” was another more recent post.
   • The week of the shooting, he posted, “It breaks me… It actually does… I know it seems like I’m sweating it off… But I’m not.. And I never will be able to…“
   • His  tweet posted the day before the shooting: “It won’t last…. It’ll never last….“
   •  It was reported that he had been recently rejected by a girl who favored his cousin.   Also, he had been despondent over the break up.
3. Suspended over Violence
   The shooter was recently suspended over a fight at football practice.  He punched the student and broke his nose over a possible racial slur.
4. Social Media Accounts– reflect shooters possible feelings
   • His Twitter account of late gave some insight into his mindset:
     • Many posts were filled with anger, profanity, despair, explicit sexuality and even pornographic images. But only days before the shooting, his posts became cryptic.
     • A few days before shooting he posted; “I should have listened … you were right. … The whole time you were right.”
     • On Thursday before the Friday shooting, he wrote his final Twitter post: “It won’t last. …It’ll never last.”
   • His Twitter account of late gave some insight into how he felt about someone, maybe one of the cousin’s:
     • “Did you forget she was my girlfriend? Your gonna piss me off… And then some shits gonna go down and I don’t think you’ll like it…??????”  Posted: 2:31 AM – 20 Aug 2014
     • Twittered about disputes over his girlfriend.  “Dude. She tells me everything. And now I f*cking HATE you! Your no longer my “Brother”!” Posted: 19 Oct 2014
     • See below other Twitter, Instagram and text posts.
5. Bullied
   Some students said, “had been bullied and was “sick of it”.”  Then others said they did not think he was bullied.
6. Possible Feelings about being wronged by society
   He posted an Instagram last January comparing the number of Americans killed on 9/11 with the “12 million Native Americans killed by Christians.”
7. Possible Threats and Targeting of students
   • He Texted them:  Shooter lured those he shot and invited them to have lunch with him, according to reports, by texting them to met him in cafeteria.
   • His Twitter account reflected possible veiled threats of harm toward self or others (The difference between homicide and suicide is which way the anger is turned – out at others or in at self…and in some cases both):
     • “Your not gonna like what happens next????”  Posted: 2:39 AM – 20 Aug 2014
     • “F**k It???????????? Might As well Die Now????????????????”  Posted: 5:54 PM – 20 Jun
8. Access to Weapons
   • Access to shotguns and rifles due to his hunting.
   • Brought a .40 caliber handgun to school and used it in shooting, according to police.  They reported that it was purchased legally and possibly belonged to a family member.

Additional information may come to light in the coming days and weeks of other warnings signs of a student in severe crisis.

FBI Director Comey

According to FBI Director James Comey, agencies have to stepped up training for police departments (First Responders and School Districts) around the country for the purpose of increasing its understanding of warning signs before such tragedies repeat themselves.

In a recent study by the FBI, they said,  the goal of the study is to “provide… accurate data so they can better understand how to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from these incidents.”

Learn More:

• How to determine – If my School is unsafe?
• Keys’ FREE “Knowledge Base Center” – Managing Dangerousness pdf downloads
• Keys’  Crisis Recovery: Returning to Normal
• See Books & Material on Safety
• See Assessing Dangerousness in Adults & Assessing the Potentially Dangerous Student
• Learn more about our Subject Matter Experts