An 18-year-old Indiana student has been accused of plotting a mass shooting at their high school on Valentine’s Day, a plan that he allegedly wrote was inspired by the 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Florida, that killed 17 people.
Jamie Shockley has been charged with conspiracy to commit murder, intimidation: threat to commit terrorism, and conspiracy intimidation, according to Morgan County court documents. There was no legal representation for Shockley listed in the court record.
A probable cause affidavit filed in the case said the teen identifies as a transgender male and Jamie is his preferred name.
On Tuesday, a caller to the FBI Sandy Hook Tip Line told authorities that a friend was plotting a mass shooting at Mooresville High School, the affidavit said.
“Tipster stated that their friend has access to an AR15 and has just ordered a bulletproof vest,” the affidavit said. “Tipster stated that this offender admires Nicolas Cruz.”
Cruz killed 14 students and three staff members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2018, in one of deadliest school shootings in modern American history. He was sentenced to life in prison in 2022, with no chance at parole.
The affidavit states that the tip included messages that Shockley allegedly sent through Discord, an online social platform. One of the alleged messages said the student had been planning for a year and intended to kill one of his best friends, according to the affidavit.
“Parkland part two,” the message said.
The FBI traced the internet provider address from the Discord messages to Mooresville, Indiana, where a Mooresville Police Department detective took over the case.
The affidavit states that Shockley went to a school counselor Tuesday and expressed an “obsession” with Cruz. The student allegedly showed the counselor a locket he wore with a picture of Cruz inside.
A search warrant was executed on Shockley’s home Wednesday, and law enforcement discovered a collage of pictures of three school shooters, the affidavit states.
Police also found magazines for AR-15 rifles, a box of .40 caliber bullets and a soft vest in Shockley’s father’s room, the affidavit said.
Investigators found notebooks in Shockley’s backpack that had swastikas on them as well as the words “kill,” “band,” and “I hate you all DIE DIE DIE” in them, the affidavit said.
One excerpt included in the affidavit was dated Dec. 17, 2024, where Shockley allegedly wrote about depression and said he was “relentlessly a victim of bullying.”
An entry from last month expressed a desire to hurt others and that the thoughts “won’t stop,” according to the affidavit.
During an interview with police, Shockley said he was “joking” when he said he wanted to “shoot the school up” and “would never do anything like that,” and he denied having access to his father’s firearm, the affidavit said.
Shockley told police that he did have a plan and “was going to wait for lunch because it was the most people coming out,” the affidavit said.
Shockley allegedly admitted to having anger issues and said he had previously self-harmed, the affidavit states.
Authorities spoke to school administrators, and a counselor at the school told police that Shockley signed up for mental health services on Nov. 12, shortly after his 18th birthday, according to the affidavit.
Shockley allegedly expressed suicidal ideation in the past but the counselor did not believe he required intervention, the affidavit said
The counselor had been working with the student since he was a freshman and believed that Shockley’s father “did not believe in mental health treatment” or take his child’s conditions seriously, the affidavit said. Shockley’s father would deny access to the mental health resources each time the teenager sought them out, the counselor allegedly said.
NBC News was unable to reach Shockley’s father by phone Thursday.
Court records show prosecutors entered a motion to hold Shockley with no bond.
Mooresville Schools said in a statement that it was made aware of the potential threat and grateful for the coordination among federal, state and local law enforcement.
“The student has been placed in custody and will not return to the school,” the district said.
The district also encouraged parents and students to contact their school offices with any questions about mental health resources available to all students.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or chat live at 988lifeline.org. You can also visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional support.