Chief Mark Brink: Photo by Ken Robinson - WTAM/iHeartMedia
JACKSON TOWNSHIP, OH - Jackson Township Police released more information regarding last week's shooting at Jackson Memorial Middle School.
Supplemental Information Regarding Last Week’s Shooting at Jackson Memorial Middle School
Chief Mark Brink, Jackson Township Police Department, would like to provide the parents of Jackson Memorial Middle School students and the citizens of Jackson Township pertinent information regarding the investigation of last week’s shooting at Jackson Memorial Middle School.
Last Wednesday, February 21, 2018, Keith Simons, a 7th grade student at Jackson Memorial Middle School died from a confirmed gunshot wound to the head that was self-inflicted on Tuesday, February 20, 2018 in a school bathroom.
The following preliminary timeline has been constructed based on a review of available surveillance video:
At approximately 7:10 a.m., Simons departed his home and walked with a noticeable limp to the bus stop Simons had a weapon concealed in his clothing.
At approximately 7:44 a.m., Simons arrived at school and immediately proceeded to a male bathroom. Within a couple of minutes, Simons is observed exiting the bathroom with a black long gun in his hands (.22 rifle), approximately four students were in the vicinity, but did not appear to notice Simons. One male student leaving the bathroom did notice Simons holding a weapon, that student proceeded to notify faculty.
At approximately 7:50 a.m., faculty found Simons lying on the bathroom floor and yelled for 911 to be contacted.
The investigation to date has revealed some disturbing documentation on Simons’ phone involving an “admiration” for the Columbine shooters along with an eight-step plan of “attack” at Jackson Memorial Middle School. The discovered documentation contained entries from February 14, 2018 through February 20, 2018. Portions of a few of these entries are listed below:
February 16, 2018 - “I wanna leve a lasting impression on the world and I Keith M. Simons also wants to leve a lasting impression on the world.”
February 17, 2018 - “I’ll look in to those scared little britches eyes before I kill them there’s now I’ll have followers because I’m so awesome I know someone will follow me just like I followed Eric Harris and Dylan Klebolt’s me and them want close to the same thing, It’s going to be fun……They say school shootings are horrible but they don’t think like us like me Eric and Dylan….”.
February 18, 2018 - “…..I’m going to die doing it, I hate those people, when they interview my parents and ask how they didn’t see the signs they should know it’s not them it’s me and it’s because of how I see the world….I’d hurt and destroy something bigger but my schools an easy target….”
February 19, 2018 - “……this will be bigger than anything this country’s ever seen, ……..I’ve been planning this for a few weeks and thought about it a few months, I will never be forgotten I’ll be a stain in American history and the Simons history, it’s going to be so mutch fun. They won’t expect a thing”.
From the documentation retrieved from Simon’s phone Simons intended on conducting a school shooting at Jackson Memorial Middle School. No evidence has been discovered to explain why Simons changed his mind from shooting others at the school to him retreating back into the bathroom where he took his own life. What we do know is Simons had a fascination with school shooters, specifically the Columbine shooters, and he had access to a weapon.
This continues to be an ongoing investigation. Additional interviews need to be completed, as well as, a thorough review of all electronic devices Simons may have utilized. At this time, there is no substantiated information indicating that anyone else was involved or had knowledge of Simons’ plan. However, until all avenues are investigated we cannot rule out any possibility. Upon completion of this investigation and at the appropriate time, any publicly available information will be released.
Thank you for your continued understanding and support.
(c) iHeartMedia 2018
Photo by Ken Robinson - WTAM/iHeartMedia