College officers unknowingly gave accused Michigan shooter his backpack with gun and magazines, lawyer says

A highschool counselor and dean unknowingly gave an accused gunman a backpack containing the pistol and magazines officers say he used to kill 4 folks and injure seven in Oxford, Michigan, final 12 months, a lawyer representing victims’ households stated Thursday.

The change occurred within the hours earlier than the taking pictures, throughout a gathering the place the suspect, then 15, had been summoned after a math instructor discovered a notecard on his desk displaying a gun, bullet and a number of other disturbing phrases, together with “blood all over the place” and “the ideas gained’t cease,” lawyer Ven Johnson informed reporters.

Particulars of the change got here from depositions supplied by faculty officers after a number of households sued the Oxford Neighborhood College District in federal courtroom final 12 months.

The go well with, which is looking for $100 million in damages, accused the district of gross negligence and argued that the Nov. 30 taking pictures was “fully preventable.”

Throughout the assembly with counselor Shawn Hopkins and dean Nicholas Ejak, the coed grew to become “actually apprehensive” about lacking chemistry class and requested for his homework and backpack, Johnson stated.

Hopkins went to retrieve the bag, Johnson stated. In line with Hopkins’ testimony, Johnson stated, the counselor commented on the backpack’s weight after the instructor gave it to him.

After returning to the assembly, Hopkins gave the bag to Ejak, who handed it to the teenager.

“Neither one in every of them, in accordance with their testimony, even thought for a second to ask … ‘Hey dude, present us what’s in there,” Johnson stated. “We simply wish to ensure every part is cool.”

The suspect’s mother and father attended the assembly, and Hopkins informed them that in the event that they did not search assist for his or her son inside 48 hours, he would report them to the native youngster protecting providers company.

The scholar returned to class round 11 a.m. and is accused of opening hearth simply earlier than 1 p.m., Johnson stated.

Johnson stated some faculty officers missed different crimson flags, together with an incident Nov. 29 the place the suspect’s instructor noticed him photographs of bullets on his cellphone.

After the instructor started reviewing his classwork and observed his pursuits “leaned towards the violent facet,” Johnson stated, she reported what she discovered to different faculty officers, together with Hopkins. Johnson stated that neither official appeared to have investigated the matter.

In one other incident earlier within the 12 months, Johnson stated, the suspect’s Spanish instructor requested Hopkins to talk together with her pupil due to an autobiographical poem indicating noting that he felt “horrible and that his household is a mistake.”

Hopkins adopted up with the instructor, who stated she was not involved as a result of she believed the coed was speaking about homework, not his life, Johnson stated.

A lawyer for Hopkins and Ejak didn’t reply Thursday to a request for remark. In a courtroom submitting, attorneys for the college denied allegations within the households’ lawsuit and described a few of them as inaccurate.

The teenager has pleaded not responsible to 2 dozen fees, together with homicide, within the taking pictures. His mother and father have been additionally charged with involuntary manslaughter. They’ve additionally pleaded not responsible.