A college student in Florida was allegedly staging a mass school shooting on the campus of Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Friday, the final day of school.
The Chief of Daytona Beach police says today would have been a target rich environment for a possible attack and the suspect knew it.
shooting stopped
Fortunately two students, who were worried about group messages they received on Snap Chat, tipped off the police and thwarted the attack according to the police chief.
Shooting plot thwarted
Police say they nabbed John Hagins yesterday with a collapsible high-powered rifle and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Police say he sold his car to fund his alleged shooting spree.
He is being held without bond and is due in court today.
Speaking at a press conference, Daytona Beach Police Department Chief Jakari Young said officers arrested John Hagins, 19, a student at the private Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, early Thursday morning over an alleged “plot to shoot up” the campus. Hagins was charged with written threats to injure or kill, terrorism, and attempted first-degree homicide, all felonies. He was booked into the Volusia County Branch Jail without bail.
Earlier today, @ChiefJakari spoke to the news media about the arrest of an @EmbryRiddle student who had made threats to shoot up the campus.
An edited video of what he told them is posted here:https://t.co/EW37LWCwAs
— Daytona Beach Police (@DaytonaBchPD) December 9, 2021
Young said several boxes of 9mm ammunition were in the backpack. Five loaded magazines, each holding 17 rounds, and an extended magazine loaded with 32 rounds, were also found in the bag. A rifle scope was also with the weapon, the chief said.
“He was loaded for bear,” Young said.
Hagins confessed to making the threats, but told investigators that it was all a joke, Young said. In a press release, police said Hagins had sold his car to purchase the gun and ammunition.