Police confirmed that a 13-year-old boy who shot himself in the bathroom of Jackson Memorial Middle School last week had a larger attack planned and the weapons to carry it out.

 

 

On Thursday, Jackson Township Police Chief Mark Brink announced the latest results of the investigation, which is still ongoing.

 

On Tuesday, February 20^th Keith Simons, a 7th-grade student at the school, got off the bus and walked into a restroom.

A short time later he shot himself with a long-gun he’d concealed on the bus and managed to get into the school building. He died the next day as a result of his injuries.

New evidence suggests Simons had a larger attack planned. Chief Brink explained the student had roughly 80 rounds of ammunition in his backpack and magazines. Additionally, Simons had bottle rockets, batteries and an aerosol can in his backpack.

Chief Brink noted while the student likely believed he had the materials to build a bomb, the items were not capable of causing any real damage.

Investigators explained Simons also had a detailed plan outlining his intentions to harm more individuals and take his life when he was done.

The following preliminary timeline has been constructed by investigators on a review of available surveillance video the day of the incident:

• At approximately 7:10 a.m., Simons departed his home and walked with a noticeable limp to the bus stop. Simons had the 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 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.

In a press release, investigators release additional information such as a memo on Simons phone that revealed disturbing documentation including ‘admiration’ for the Columbine shooters along with an eight-step plan of “attack” at Jackson Memorial Middle School.

Officials say the discovered documentation contained entries from February 14^th through February 20^th, 2018.

Some of the entries included:

February 16^th, 2018 – “I wanna leve a lasting impression on the world and I Keith M. Simons also want to leve a lasting impression on the world.”

 

February 17^th, 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 me Eric and Dylan…”

 

February 18^th, 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 for them it’s me and it’s because of how I see the world…I’d hurt and destroy something bigger buy my schools an easy target.”

 

February 19^th, 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.”

 

Investigators go on to say that from the documentation retrieved from Simon’s phone Simons intended on conducting a school shooting at the middle school. No evidence, they say, 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.

Police note, Simons had a fascination with school shooters, specifically the Columbine shooters and he had access to a weapon.

The investigation is still underway as police note additional investigation s need to be completed, as well as, a thorough review of all electronic devices Simons may have utilized. At this time they say there is no substantiated information indicating that anyone else was involved or had knowledge of Simons’ plan.

However; investigators add that until all avenues are investigators they cannot rule out any possibility. Upon completion of the investigation, they are expected to release additional information.

Michaela Madison Reporting