AZTEC, NEW MEXICO, USA – DECEMBER 7, 2017 Tragic shooting occurred at Aztec High School. Twenty-one-year-old William Edward Atchison, a former student at the school, shot and killed two 17-year-old students and subsequently took his own life.
William Edward Atchison
Atchison entered the building disguised as a student. He was carrying a 9 mm Glock pistol and ammunition in his backpack. He hid in the school restrooms, where he was discovered by 17-year-old Francisco “Paco” Fernandez. Atchison shot him and then killed another student, Casey Jordan Marquez, in the hallway.
William entering the school
He subsequently moved through the school, firing toward hallways and classrooms as students and teachers barricaded doors. Substitute teacher Katie Potter hid students in an office and blocked the entrance with a couch, preventing the shooter from getting inside. No additional victims were reported.
Approximately six minutes after the attack began, Atchison died by suicide with a firearm before police could apprehend him. The attack claimed a total of three lives, including the perpetrator.
Investigators later determined that Atchison had planned the attack. In 2016, the FBI had interviewed him after his online posts about obtaining weapons for a mass shooting raised concerns. At the time, he denied planning a violent act. The exact motive for the shooting remained unclear.
The photographs accompanying this post show William Edward Atchison, the perpetrator of the shooting, after his death.
READ MORE:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Aztec_High_School_shooting
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