Marysville high school shooter Fryberg texted, tweeted before deaths

SEATTLE – A teacher’s warnings, social media posts and observations from students suggested something was wrong with Jaylen Fryberg in the days before he fatally shot four friends in the high school cafeteria, but authorities say although it’s clear he planned the massacre, no one could have known it was coming.

One expert who studies school shootings said they’re hard to predict but some specific actions can be considered “attack-related behaviors.” Some behavior might simply be common teenager mood swings, while actions that involve threats may be red flags of an upcoming suicide or shooting.

“A kid who puts his head down on his desk may just mean he’s not getting enough sleep,” said Dr. Peter Langman, a psychologist and author of books on school shootings. “But if he did Tweet or text that he wanted to kill someone, that’s a warning sign.”

Hundreds of pages of interviews, photos and messages gathered during a monthslong investigation into the Oct. 24 shooting at Marysville Pilchuck High School and released this week by authorities reveal both evidence of a moody teen, but also some possible behavior that could have suggested Fryberg was planning an attack.

• A substitute teacher told police that on the Wednesday before the shooting, a student told her everyone was discussing a social media post warning there would be a shooting in the cafeteria 10 a.m. Friday.

• A federal agent told an officer that he interviewed students and learned Fryberg “sent text messages to people saying he wanted to kill (redacted name) and Andrew Fryberg, then he wanted to kill himself.” Andrew Fryberg, Dylan Fryberg’s cousin, was one of the students killed in the shooting.

• A student told a police detective that Fryberg posted on his Twitter or Instagram page: “tell my mom I love her and there’s like an emoji of a gun.”

• A woman who lives in Bremerton told police she logged on to her ASK.FM account Oct. 25 and someone had posted anonymously just before the shooting: “Jaylen fryberg will kill.”

Ann Deutscher, a lawyer representing the families of the victims, said the documents appear to confirm concerns about anecdotal information they had previously received about the days and weeks leading up to the shooting, in particular a fight Fryberg had with another football player and reports of bullying.

Shari Ireton, spokeswoman for the Snohomish County Sheriff’s office, said: “After an in-depth and lengthy investigation, the only person who knew the shooting was going to take place was Jaylen Fryberg. There is no evidence of any advanced warning.”

However the substitute teacher, Rosemarie Cooper, said she stands behind her statement to police that she warned office staff after a student told her about a shooting.