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Police: Gunman disguised himself, randomly killed at school
AZTEC, N.M. (AP) -- A 21-year-old gunman who disguised himself as a student to get into a New Mexico high school where he killed two students had caught the attention of U.S. investigators more than a year ago, authorities said Friday.
William Atchison, a former student at small-town Aztec High School, had legally purchased a handgun at a local store a month ago and planned the attack, authorities said. He left a message on a thumb drive found on his body that detailed his plan to wait until the students got off buses and made their way to class.
He mingled with students, then walked into school with them and went into a second-floor bathroom to "gear up." Atchison's plan was to shoot up a classroom and then kill himself.
"Work sucks, school sucks, life sucks. I just want out of this (expletive)," he wrote.
More lives could have been lost had Francisco I. Fernandez not walked into the bathroom, authorities said. The gunman shot Fernandez, then walked out into the hallway and encountered the second victim, Casey J. Marquez. He immediately killed her.
Atchison then walked up and down the hall, firing randomly, before killing himself, authorities said.
"He was determined to create as much carnage as he possibly could," San Juan County Sheriff Ken Christesen said.
The shooter did not have a criminal record, much less a traffic ticket, officials said. The only contact with law enforcement was what they described as a generic message on an online gaming forum in 2016 in which he talked about what weapons might be used in a mass shooting.
The FBI said the posting was flagged and investigators talked with the gunman at his home in Aztec, where he lived with his parents. At the time, he did not own any weapons other than an airsoft pellet gun and said he had no plans for an attack and just liked to troll sites online.
The shooting has rocked Aztec, a community of about 6,500 near the Colorado border. Hundreds gathered for prayer services and candlelight vigils and more gatherings are planned over the weekend as residents look for answers.
In one bright spot, authorities said heroes at the school helped save lives.
A substitute teacher heard the gunshots but didn't have a key to lock the door to the computer lab. So she took students into an office or storage area and barricaded the door with a couch.
Atchison came to the room and yelled that he knew they were in there and fired multiple shots into the room, authorities said.
A custodian also heard the gunshots and yelled for teachers to lock their doors.
State Police Chief Pete Kassetas said the two victims were not specific targets.
Marquez was a cheerleader and was planning to participate in the upcoming Orange Bowl. Her classmates said she came across as a student leader.
Bryn Divine, a senior at Aztec High School, remembered the victim being a vibrant and friendly student who often won dance contests at school events.
"She lit up pretty much any room we were all in," Divine said. "She was such a fun person to be around."
Prosecutor declines to charge officer in deaf man's killing
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- An Oklahoma prosecutor announced Friday he will not file criminal charges against a police officer in the September shooting death of a deaf man who was not following officer commands.
Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater said his investigation determined the Sept. 19 shooting death of Magdiel Sanchez outside his south Oklahoma City home was justified. After reviewing evidence, Prater said, the shooting was "lawful, reasonable and not excessive."
Both officers who responded tried to render aid immediately after the shooting, Prater said.
Police have said officers who responded to a hit-and-run crash encountered Sanchez holding a metal pipe. An autopsy report shows Sanchez was hit with a stun gun and shot five times in the chest, pelvis and upper arm.
According to police, witnesses yelled "he can't hear you" before the officers fired, but they didn't hear them.
The shooting prompted protests from activists from groups including Black Lives Matter Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Association of the Deaf.
Family members of Sanchez had called for Barnes' arrest and for state and federal investigations into the matter.
Sanchez's family has said he was completely deaf, developmentally disabled, and that he used the pipe as a walking stick. The autopsy found no drugs or alcohol in Sanchez's system.
Prater earlier this week charged an Oklahoma City police officer with second-degree murder for fatally shooting a suicidal man in a separate case.