A Valentine’s Day tragedy was avoided when 18-year-old, Trinity Shockley, was charged with conspiracy to commit murder and two terrorism-related charges. Shockley is reported to have a fixation with the Parkland high school shooter, Nikolas Cruz, who murdered 17 people on Valentine’s Day seven years ago. Shockley is charged under the name Trinity, but is transgender and goes by the name Jamie. It’s unclear which pronouns Shockley uses.
The possible threat was quickly thwarted due law enforcement’s swift response to an anonymous tip. Officials say the anonymous person used the Sandy Hook tipline to say someone has access to an AR-15 rifle, had just ordered a bulletproof vest, and admires Nikolas Cruz. They also included messages Shockley appears to have sent on the messaging app Discord describing plans for the shooting.
“I am incredibly grateful for the quick response of our local, state, and federal law enforcement whose actions prevented what could have been a devastating situation,” Mooresville Schools Superintendent Jake Allen said.
The FBI traced the IP address associated with the Discord account back to Shockley and notified Morgan County Sheriff’s Office was notified, which contacted the Mooresville Metropolitan Police Department. The same day Mooresville Metropolitan Police Department was contacted, Shockley visited a school counselor about ongoing personal issues.
Officials say the teen was grieving the recent death of their mother; struggled with bullying and anger issues at school after being hit by a drunk driver; felt guilt after learning about that driver’s suicide; and became fixated by mass shooters. Shockley had been struggling with suicidal thoughts and had sought mental health help for years, telling the counselor they were scared about their future.
When Shockley told the counselor about an obsession and attraction to Cruz, they showed the counselor a heart locket necklace with Cruz’s photo inside. The counselor notified the school’s administration, and they scheduled a proactive response plan for next day before school.
Police entered Shockley’s home with a search warrant discovering evidence of the teen’s fascinations with mass shooters. Shockley is said to have written, “I cannot stop thinking about Nikolas,” in one of many notebooks.
They also found AR-15 magazines, a box of .40 caliber bullets, and a soft armor vest. Officials do not say if a gun was found by police, and it’s unclear if Shockley had access to a weapon. The teen is being held in jail without bond while waiting for psychological evaluations.
“Nothing ever happens in Mooresville. It’s a small town,” Mooresville Police Chief Kerry Buckner told CNN affiliate WTHR, “To think somebody was plotting to hurt a lot of individuals of kids, future leaders of this country or whoever is pretty disturbing.”
“A variety of mental health resources are available to all students of Mooresville Schools,” the superintendent said in a statement, “Our schools should always be a place of safety, learning, and belonging. We are committed to doing everything in our power to keep our schools safe.”
