A 19-year-old student was reportedly arrested after classmates reported suspicious social media messages indicating that he was planning a mass school shooting. John Hagins, who attends the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, was taken into custody near his apartment, just hours before officials believe he was due to commit the horrific massacre, the Daytona Beach Police Department said in a statement.
- Hagins bragged about the shooting on Snapchat. Classmates of Hagins’ reported him to authorities after seeing threatening messages Hagin had posted on a Snapchat group message bragging about the fact that he was going to stage a mass shooting at the school.
- He had everything planned out. Hagins said in the messages that he planned to smuggle a folding gun as well as hundreds of rounds of ammunition in a backpack on his way onto campus. He also revealed that he was going to practice his aim at a local shooting range before carrying out the attack.
- Hagins is said to have sold his car to do this. Authorities say that Hagins had recently sold his car to purchase gun and ammunition, both of which were found in his apartment after his arrest. “Today is the last day before winter break. Today is the last day. Today is finals. Final exams. So, this was all part of the plan because today the campus (would) be packed because everybody has to be there to take their final exam, so this was all in his plan,” said Police Chief Young. “He may want to claim that it was all a joke and he wasn’t serious about it. But we don’t find anything funny about discussing a mass shooting on a campus. If he was looking for attention, he’s got it. He said once he was done at that firing range, he was going to campus to enact a Columbine.”
- Hagins was in a tough spot, academically speaking. Now he’s in jail. Police say that he was in danger of failing multiple classes and had previously been placed on academic probation. In addition, he received a traffic violation on campus a few days before his arrest. He has since been charged with 2ritten threats to injure or kill, terrorism, and attempted first-degree homicide. He’s being held at a local jail without bond.
