A potential Valentine’s Day mass shooting which could have taken place at Mooresville High School in Morgan County - about 10 miles south of Indianapolis - was thwarted last week after a call to an anonymous tip line notified federal authorities of the suspected shooter’s intentions ahead of time.
The suspect, 18 year-old Trinity Shockley, currently faces a charge of conspiracy to commit murder and two domestic terrorism charges after being accused of plotting a shooting at Mooresville High School. Shockley’s arrest occurred after a caller used the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System on Monday, February 10, claiming that a friend was in possession of an AR-15 rifle, bought a bulletproof vest, and had an obsession with Nikolas Cruz - the perpetrator of the February 2018 massacre that took place at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.
The reporting system, created by the gun violence prevention group Sandy Hook Promise, notified the FBI of the tip with screenshots supplied by the tipster of a conversation with Shockley via the messaging platform Discord. The FBI then referred to the Wisconsin Department of Justice, as the authorities first believed the shooter to be from that state, but the local detectives’ investigation found no proof of an imminent threat to the schools in the area. However, a Wisconsin woman initially believed to be the suspect allegedly made contact with Shockley through a group chat about school shooters.
Following this brief diversion in the pursuit of the shooter, investigators instructed the anonymous tipster, who was still in contact with Shockley at the time, to get a phone number from Shockley, which was then traced to Indiana. Further screenshots of Shockley’s conversation with the tipster showed photos of Shockley’s bedroom, which had numerous photos of past school shooters on the walls, as well as weapons, magazines, and a tactical vest.
Moreover, a school counselor spoke with Shockley at the end of the day on Tuesday, February 11, and told authorities that Shockley revealed in their conversation an obsession with and sexual attraction to school shooter Nikolas Cruz. The counselor notified the school’s administration after this, and a plan had been made to respond effectively to Shockley’s possible intentions.
A search warrant of Shockley’s home was carried out by police on Wednesday, after which Shockley was arrested and is currently being held in the Morgan County Jail. Shockley will appear at a bond hearing Tuesday, February 18 at 8 a.m., according to chief deputy prosecutor for Morgan County, Cassie Mellady.
