2017 Aztec High School shooting

School shooting in Aztec, New Mexico

2017 Aztec High School shooting

Aztec High School in 2008

Aztec High School

Aztec High School (New Mexico)

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Aztec High School

Aztec High School (the United States)

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Location|

* Aztec High School
* Aztec, New Mexico, U.S.

Coordinates| 36°49′15″N 107°59′26″W﻿ / ﻿36.82083°N 107.99056°W﻿ / 36.82083; -107.99056
Date| December 7, 2017; 6 years ago (2017-12-07)
8:04 – 8:16 a.m. (UTC–7)
Target| Students and staff at Aztec High School

Attack type

| School shooting, murder-suicide
Weapon| Glock 19 Gen 4 9mm pistol
Deaths| 3 (including the perpetrator)
Perpetrator| William Atchison
Defender| Katie Potter
Motive| Unknown[1]

On December 7, 2017, a school shooting occurred at Aztec High School in Aztec, New Mexico, United States. The perpetrator, William Atchison, a 21-year-old former student, entered the school in the morning disguised as a student and hid in the school restroom. He was discovered before he could launch a major attack, but fatally shot two students before killing himself. Investigators believe that the quick actions of the teachers in barricading doors to the classrooms helped prevent mass casualties.

Atchison had previously been investigated by the FBI for threatening to commit a mass shooting and had previously been in contact with the 2016 Munich gunman. The investigation was dropped after it was determined he did not own a firearm. The motive for the shooting is disputed, with some organizations arguing the shooting was motivated by far-right extremism and incel ideology, while the sheriff's office stated that there was no evidence the shooting was related to Atchison's views, only that he had "serious issues" and was simply "hell bent on mass casualties for his own personal notoriety".[2]

## Background

[edit]

### Aztec, New Mexico

[edit]

Aztec is a small town in San Juan County, in northwest New Mexico near the Navajo Nation. The town is located in the heart of the San Juan Basin, which is known for its petroleum and natural gas deposits.[3] Aztec is about three hours away by car, at a distance of approximately 180 miles (290 km) from Albuquerque, the most populous city in New Mexico.[4] In 2017, the town had a population of about 6,500 people, with 900 students enrolled at Aztec High School.[5][6] According to the United States Department of Education, in 2013, Aztec's student body was measured at 26% Hispanic and almost 20% Native American.[7]

### Perpetrator

[edit]

William Edward "Bill" Atchison was born on March 18, 1996, the younger of two sons. He lived in Belen, New Mexico, before moving to Aztec with his family.[8] Atchison attended Aztec High School nearby.[9] According to his father, Atchison was bullied in school; in one incident, he was allegedly attacked during a welding class and stabbed in the chest.[1]

Atchison was suspended from high school on March 9, 2012, for using the classroom whiteboard to write a chronology of the Columbine High School massacre.[10][11] This complaint was not reported to the school's resource officer.[12] Atchison had attended sessions with school counselors for many years and was seeing one regularly in Farmington until the counselor retired. He saw a new counselor two more times, but suddenly stopped before dropping out of school on August 20 of the same year. He never returned to school after the suspension.[1][13]

A neighbor called the Aztec police on Atchison twice, once for firing his airsoft pellet gun at their dogs, and a second time for threatening to shoot her husband during an argument over cannabis that had been found near the property. Because of these disputes, the neighbor refused to allow her sons to play with Atchison. She described him as someone who spent "a lot of time inside and alone". A coworker stated that "everybody bullied" him.[1]

After leaving school, Atchison worked at a local Giant gas station near his home. In an online posting written on the website Think Atheist in 2014, he described his frustration with life in rural New Mexico and his bleak career prospects and asked for advice on how to fix his life, saying: "Look, I'm sorry if I'm rude and hateful or anything, but I don't know what to do. I've lived no life for nearly 19 years [...] How can I become polite and make some friends out there in this world?" Though the post had several hundred views, no one responded.[9]

#### Online activity

[edit]

Atchison was noted by The Daily Beast as having a "prolific online life" which led to him "making many enemies".[9] His online activity included writing pro-Hitler and pro-Trump posts online and frequenting internet forums such as 4chan and Kiwi Farms, as well as white nationalist websites like The Daily Stormer.[14] He used various usernames, including "Future Mass Shooter" and names styled after several mass murderers.[9] He was a sysop of Encyclopedia Dramatica, a Wikipedia-style site, where he went by "AlGore", though he had previously been banned for two years for being a troll and was at times criticized by the site's users for abuse of his admin powers by posting numerous "shitty facebook commentaries" of praise for Donald Trump to the site's main page, in addition to memes praising the Columbine High School massacre. Other users would often ask Atchison "how his manifesto was going".[9] His father later told investigators that he had noticed his son visiting "neo-Nazi" websites and believed they were a negative influence on him.[1]

In early 2016, Atchison began directly communicating with 18-year-old David Sonboly, who went on to commit a mass shooting in Munich in July of that year, killing nine and injuring 36 before he killed himself.[15][16] Atchison and Sonboly had participated in a Steam chat group called the "Anti-Refugee Club". The group was initially created on January 10, 2016, with Atchison as co-founder.[17] In the group, mass murderers and far-right terrorists like Anders Breivik were stylized as heroes, and group members shared fantasies of killing directed against "non-Aryans", people of color, migrants, Jews, and refugees. The group communicated about weapons and mass murder as well as multiplayer first-person shooter video games such as Counter-Strike.[18] A member of the group claimed that the group "wasn't racist" but was "mostly satire",[9] while political scientist Florian Hartleb [de] described the group as a "virtual, international network of potential mass murderers".[19] The group was removed two months prior to the shooting.[9]

After the Munich shooting, Atchison wrote an epitaph to Sonboly on Encyclopedia Dramatica, calling him a "true Aryan" and "true German".[18][20] He also claimed to have been friends with Carter Boyles, a 15-year-old interested in school shootings who killed himself by gunshot at his high school in 2016. After his death, Atchison wrote the Encyclopedia Dramatica entry on his suicide.[9] He commented under a video made by Boyles mourning him, and arguing that while "[s]uicides are ignored, [...] [s]uicidal people who commit mass murder [...] become celebrities."[9]

#### March 2016 FBI investigation

[edit]

Excerpt from Atchison's interview with the FBI

* * *

Problems playing this file? See media help.

Atchison had no previous criminal record;[2] however, he was investigated by the FBI in March 2016, due to his online posts indicating his interest in purchasing weapons for a mass shooting at Aztec High.[10] He came to the attention of the FBI when he stated on an online gaming forum that he was "plotting [a] mass shooting" and asked for "weapons that are good for killing a lot of people within a budget".[6][11]

This post was traced to the computer of Atchison's older brother after the post was flagged,[2] and investigators visited Atchison at his home on March 24, 2016.[11][12] He convinced FBI investigators that he was simply "trolling", and that he was "not the type to actually do any of this stuff".[11][21] He told the agents he had previously been suicidal and that he was fascinated by school shooters and guns. When asked for assurance by the agents, he told them to put him on a watch list. The investigation was subsequently closed when it was determined that, other than an airsoft pellet gun, he did not own a firearm, and that he had not committed a crime.[5][6] He later described the FBI visit on his YouTube channel, saying he had been investigated after someone reported his profile, but that the FBI did not think that he was a legitimate threat and that they "understood the satire".[9]

Following a miscommunication with the FBI, Aztec police were instead provided information about Atchison's older brother, who they believed had made the online posts. A sketch in addition to the name and photo of his brother were posted inside the police station as part of a "use caution" bulletin. There was no follow up and this was not corrected.[2][11] Police did not share information about the threat with the school district or the school resource officer.[22]

#### Planning and preparation

[edit]

In November 2017, Atchison traveled to Sportsman's Warehouse in Farmington, where, with his father, he legally purchased a 9mm Glock 19 Gen4 semi-automatic pistol that he would later use in the December attack on the school.[11][23] After the gun was purchased, his father told him "not to point it at anyone" and, in jest, to "never do a school shooting". Two weeks before the attack on the school, Atchison and his brother took the handgun and a .22 caliber rifle out for shooting.[1]

Several weeks before the attack, Atchison visited Aztec High School to do surveillance. He was escorted around the school and given a tour by a teacher.[12][22] His father later told police that his son played a video game that allowed him to simulate a practice run of the school shooting.[1] The day before the shooting, two police officers spoke casually to him at the gas station where he worked, there to fill up their patrol cars. According to the officers nothing seemed out of the ordinary.[2] The same day, Atchison posted on Kiwi Farms the words "praise be to allah".[16]

A timeline for the killings was found in Atchison's home, with the last entry being "8[a.m.] Die." A thumb drive discovered on his person contained the same schedule.[2] At 6:51 a.m. on the day of the attack, 31 minutes after his shift ended, he composed a short note carried on a thumb drive containing the messages "If things go according to plan, today would be when I die. [...] I go somewhere and gear up, then hold a class hostage and go apeshit, then blow my brains out" and "Work sucks, school sucks, life sucks. I just want out of this shit."[1][11] The note also detailed his plan to wait until students got off the buses and went to class.[5] Atchison began to walk to the school at 7:30 a.m.[16]

## Shooting

[edit]

On December 7, 2017, at 8:04 a.m., Atchison entered Aztec High School disguised as a student. He carried a backpack containing the gun and several magazines.[6][24] Atchison entered a second floor bathroom of the 800/900 building to gear up,[13] but Francisco Fernandez walked in on him. Atchison then shot him, before exiting the bathroom and going into the hallway, where he encountered and killed Casey Marquez. According to the autopsy reports, both victims were each shot numerous times.[25] He then walked up and down the halls, firing randomly,[5] shooting into some classrooms.[8][1] He reloaded multiple times throughout the shooting.[5]

The school custodian, Thomas "Emery" Hill, chased after him, shouting about an active shooter and yelling at teachers to lock their doors. Katie Potter, a 74-year-old substitute teacher, heard the gunshots and the following loudspeaker announcement calling for a lockdown.[26] As a substitute teacher, Potter did not have keys to the computer lab, so she ushered her 17 students into the computer lab office and barricaded the door with a couch.[5][6] Atchison came to the room, yelling that he knew they were in there and fired several shots into the room through the wall.[5][6] No one was hit.[16]

Atchison then exited the computer lab and proceeded into the hallway before killing himself via a shot to the head at 8:16.[6][16] San Juan County Sheriff Ken Christensen credited Potter's swift action with saving many lives.[26] State authorities confirmed that there were no other injuries.[27] Police arrived at the school less than a minute after receiving the first calls about the shooting.[3] As the school was in lockdown, police entered through a door and window, shooting out the window shortly before Atchison killed himself.[3][6]

82 bullet casings were found at the scene.[28]

Students were in class at the time and heard what they believed was someone punching the lockers, before realizing it was gunfire.[6] Teachers and students hid in locked classrooms until they were told by officials to walk out toward the back of the building and the parking lot;[6] they were later reunited with family members at McGee Park.[27][29] Other schools in the area were locked down.[30]

### Victims

[edit]

Casey Jordan Marquez, aged 17, a senior, and Francisco "Paco" Fernandez, a junior, also aged 17, two students, were identified as the victims.[29][31] Both were student-athletes at Aztec. Marquez was a cheerleader, and Fernandez, a recent transfer to the school, was a football player.[31]

## Aftermath

[edit]

After the shooting, the community gathered around the town in locations such as churches, a park, and community centers, holding a candlelight vigil and giving prayer services.[3][5] One resident held a sign arguing teachers be allowed to carry guns, while others waved American flags.[3] New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez said the acts of bravery at the school had saved lives and prevented the shooting from being worse than it was. She spoke at the vigil, telling the crowd "all of New Mexico is with you".[3]

The mayor of Aztec, Sally Burbridge, posted on Facebook in the aftermath of the shooting, saying: "Right now we need to keep each other in our hearts and thoughts and take care of each other."[3] U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich stated he was "distraught" after learning of the shooting and called for action addressing gun violence in America. He further describing the shooting as "a parent's biggest nightmare" and said that "[e]very child deserves to be safe at school".[6] Local schools remained closed the next day.[3]

### Investigation

[edit]

Three agencies assisted with the investigation of the shooting, including the San Juan County Sheriff's Office, the FBI, and the New Mexico State Police.[32] State Police stated the two victims were not specific targets.[5][7] San Juan County Sheriff Ken Christesen said Atchison was "determined to create as much carnage as he possibly could", and that he had planned on killing many more students.[7][8] Interviewed shortly after the shooting, Atchison's father had guessed he was the perpetrator but was surprised he had killed himself.[1]

Shortly after the shooting, Brice Current, a captain at the Sheriff's Office, speculated on the motive, saying only that: "I really don't think he had a motive other than to be famous in that world, whatever world that is."[9] On December 15, a week after the shooting, The Daily Beast published an investigative article about the online history of the shooter.[32] Several months later, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) followed up on The Daily Beast investigation, publishing its own report asserting that the white supremacist views of the shooter were to blame for the attack. In the report, the SPLC argued that Atchison was linked to the alt-right, in particular a pattern showing at least 13 other males with alt-right views carrying out similar attacks since 2014.[33]

The San Juan County Sheriff's Office disputed the claim, accusing SPLC of politicizing the shooting, as they did not have a link between a possible motive and white supremacism in the case.[7] The sheriff's office came to this conclusion based on the lack of evidence showing that Atchison's views led to him targeting the victims.[34] While there were a variety of theories, the only facts that could be ascertained, the sheriff's office said, is "that the shooter had serious issues and was hell bent on mass casualties for his own personal notoriety."[2][16]

The sheriff's office completed their investigation in August 2018, concluding that Atchison had no accomplices and no known motive for the attack. They believe that he chose the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, which occurred just before 8:00 a.m., on December 7, 1941, for the attack on the school, as someone believed to be a relative of his had died in that attack. A detective for the office said they believed Atchison had wanted to commit his act on a day that was already notorious for his own benefit.[1][16] The Aztec Police Department gave a public presentation, overview, and detailed timeline of the shooting incident at Aztec City Hall on October 17, 2018.[35]

The coroner's report and autopsy on Atchison revealed a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head and bruised knuckles. His body displayed several neo-Nazi symbols and words on his skin. These symbols included a swastika, SS runes, and the acronym "AMOG" (manosphere slang for "Alpha Male of Group") on his upper thigh. The phrase "BUILD WALL" appeared above his left knee, and "your home" on the right of his groin. Atchison's toxicology report revealed that no drugs or alcohol were present in his body on the day of the shooting.[34]

### Lawsuits

[edit]

The family of Casey Jordan Marquez filed two wrongful death lawsuits in response to the incident. The first lawsuit was filed against the Aztec school district and police department on December 6, 2019.[12][36] The suit claimed administrators failed to heed the advice of a 2013 school security assessment which recommended securing the school perimeter with new infrastructure improvements such as fencing and a funneled entrance. According to the lawsuit, the security assessment was dismissed by the superintendent and a board member as a risk that was "simply too remote" to support funding security enhancements.[12][37]

Marquez's mother filed a second wrongful death lawsuit on June 8, 2020.[10][13] This time, she sued the FBI, claiming that the agency was negligent in the death of her daughter and that the shooter could have been stopped if the FBI had performed a threat assessment that took into account all of the available information then known about him.[10] For example, according to the suit, the FBI dismissed the threat without examining the student's case file held by the school, which would have shown a history of psychological and family problems and had been a target of bullying. The agency also failed, the suit claims, to investigate the link between the shooter and David Sonboly in 2016, whose attack occurred after the FBI closed their initial investigation of Atchison.[10][12] The suit was seeking unspecified damages for lost value of life, pain and suffering, in addition to loss of earning capacity.[10] The suit against the FBI was dismissed with prejudice on December 14, 2020, for technical reasons, ruling the FBI had immunity for its decision to not investigate further.[11][38]

### Legacy

[edit]

The incident led to New Mexico legislators funding additional school safety infrastructure for fencing and entrances.[37] At Aztec High School, more school resource officers were put in place, the perimeter of the school was secured, and external doors were hardened with new remote locking radio alert technology. Additionally, there was a push by the New Mexico Police Chiefs Association to support red flag laws, and making a school shooting a fourth degree felony, in a way similar to a bomb threat.[39] After the shooting, a security door was installed outside of Aztec High.[11]

The shooting was described by some as an instance of incel violence.[40][41] Atchison had used the name "Elliot Rodger" (the perpetrator of the 2014 Isla Vista killings) online and had praised him as the "supreme gentleman",[33] though it was later described as "unclear" if Atchison identified as an incel.[42]: 84 An analysis described the shooting as fitting a pattern of a "mixed motives" type of attack, that was "not obviously perpetrated expressly for political purposes or in furtherance of the incel agenda", but in which the perpetrator had mentioned related beliefs leading up to the attack.[41]: 11

After Marquez was murdered in the shooting, her mother started a non-profit program, AZTECSTRONGSJC, to award college scholarships in her honor to students in New Mexico and Colorado.[43] Her lawyer criticized the FBI's conduct in their investigation of Atchison, arguing that the FBI's inaction was responsible for the deaths in Munich and Aztec and that the FBI had probable cause to examine Atchison's computer, which in his view would have revealed further information.[11] In 2022, Marquez's mother called the shooting "a collective failure", further saying that the community "lost three children that day" and that Atchison had been "raised by the same community mine was. [...] This whole community lost him."[11]

Criminologist Jillian Peterson further criticized the FBI, saying they should have done more, pointing out that though the FBI asked Atchison whether he would attend a counselor, they did not take steps to facilitate it, and that the FBI agents failed to realize Atchison was someone who was "in a very serious mental health crisis who probably was a danger to himself or others".[11] Katherine Schweit, a former FBI official and mass shooting researcher, concluded that the FBI did a thorough job, and Peter Langman, a counseling psychologist who studies mass shooters and has consulted for the FBI, agreed.[11]

## See also

[edit]

* Law portal
* Schools portal

* Gun violence in the United States
* List of rampage killers in the United States
* List of school shootings in the United States
* List of school-related attacks

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Kellogg, Joshua (August 11, 2018). "Father: Aztec high shooter visited 'neo-Nazi' websites". Farmington Daily Times. Archived from the original on July 25, 2021. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
2. ^ a b c d e f g "Authorities wrapping up inquiry into deadly school shooting". Associated Press. April 18, 2018. Archived from the original on September 6, 2022. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
3. ^ a b c d e f g h "'Get down!' Gunfire erupts at New Mexico high school". WREG. Associated Press. December 8, 2017. Archived from the original on September 4, 2022. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
4. ^ Carlson, Adam; Hanlon, Greg (December 7, 2017). "New Mexico High School Shooting: 3 Dead, Including Suspect". People. Archived from the original on December 7, 2017. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Contreras, Russell (December 8, 2017). "New Mexico school shooter left note plotting attack, suicide". ABC News. Associated Press. Archived from the original on December 9, 2017. Retrieved December 10, 2017.
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Levenson, Eric; Diaz-Zuniga, Laura (December 7, 2017). "NM high school shooter was investigated by FBI in 2016". CNN News. Archived from the original on December 9, 2017. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
7. ^ a b c d Hudetz, Mary (February 7, 2018). "Racial motive disputed in New Mexico school shooting". Associated Press. Archived from the original on September 6, 2022. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
8. ^ a b c Kaplan, Elise; Reisen, Matthew (December 8, 2017). "School shooter wanted to create 'carnage'". Albuquerque Journal. Archived from the original on December 8, 2017. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Zadrozny, Brandy; Collins, Ben (December 15, 2017). "New Mexico School Shooter Had Secret Life on Pro-Trump White-Supremacy Sites". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on September 1, 2022. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
10. ^ a b c d e f Kellogg, Joshua (June 12, 2020). "FBI sued in wrongful death lawsuit from 2017 Aztec High School shooting". Farmington Daily Times. Archived from the original on October 16, 2021. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Dilanian, Ken; Douglas, David (May 10, 2022). "A New Mexico man convinced the FBI he was not a threat. He was". NBC News. Archived from the original on December 25, 2023. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
12. ^ a b c d e f Kellogg, Joshua (December 6, 2019). "Aztec police, schools sued in wrongful death lawsuit over AHS shooting". Farmington Daily Times. Archived from the original on December 7, 2019. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
13. ^ a b c Lattin v. USA, 1:20-CV-00557 (D.N.M. June 8, 2020), archived from the original.
14. ^ Hankes, Keegan (February 8, 2018). "Evidence of New Mexico school shooter's involvement in the racist 'alt-right' is overwhelming". Southern Poverty Law Center. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
15. ^ "Ermittlungsfehler nach dem Anschlag in München" [Investigation errors after the attack in Munich]. ARD (in German). May 15, 2018. Archived from the original on May 17, 2018. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
16. ^ a b c d e f g Kellogg, Joshua (April 17, 2018). "Aztec school shooter reached out to other school shooters, planned killings online". Farmington Daily Times. Archived from the original on March 30, 2019. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
17. ^ Schulze, Katharina (May 2, 2018). Verbindungen des OEZ-Attentäters David S. in die USA [Connections of OEZ assassin David S. to the USA] (PDF) (Report) (in German). Bayerischer Landtag. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 25, 2021. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
18. ^ a b Bernstein, Martin (May 15, 2018). "Das Netzwerk der Todesschützen" [The Network of Gunmen]. Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). Archived from the original on May 17, 2018. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
19. ^ Hartleb, Florian (2020). Lone Wolves: The New Terrorism of Right-Wing Single Actors. Springer. p. 159\. ISBN 978-3-030-36153-2.
20. ^ "Rechte Fanatiker feiern im Netz den Schützen vom OEZ" [Right-wing fanatics celebrate the OEZ shooter online]. Abendzeitung (in German). az/rah. May 16, 2018. Archived from the original on August 26, 2019. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
21. ^ Ross, Daveed Gartenstein; Plant, Thomas (September 20, 2023). "An Evolving Threat Landscape: Composite Violent Extremism and Prevention Efforts". Global Network on Extremism and Technology. Archived from the original on April 7, 2024. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
22. ^ a b Atkins, Rebecca (December 9, 2019). "Family of Aztec High School shooting victim files wrongful death lawsuit". KRQE. Archived from the original on September 16, 2021. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
23. ^ "A breakdown of everything we know in the Aztec deadly school shooting". KOAT-TV. December 7, 2017. Archived from the original on December 8, 2017. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
24. ^ Grover, Hannah (December 8, 2017). "Investigators: Aztec High School shooter had timeline, deadly plans". Farmington Daily Times. Archived from the original on December 9, 2017. Retrieved December 10, 2017.
25. ^ "Autopsies detail wounds of Aztec High victims". KOAT. Associated Press. March 13, 2018. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
26. ^ a b "Substitute teacher and custodian hailed heroes after New Mexico school shooting". Inside Edition. AOL. December 9, 2017. Archived from the original on December 9, 2017. Retrieved December 10, 2017.
27. ^ a b Ellis, Ralph; Levenson, Eric; Diaz, Andrea (December 7, 2017). "Aztec High School shooting: 2 slain students identified". CNN News. Archived from the original on December 8, 2017. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
28. ^ Kellogg, Joshua. "Aztec school shooter reached out to other school shooters, planned killings online". Las Cruces Sun-News. Retrieved October 27, 2024.
29. ^ a b Rupani, Mia (December 7, 2017). "Authorities identify two victims in shooting at Aztec High School". The Durango Herald. Archived from the original on December 8, 2017. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
30. ^ "Two students killed in Aztec High School shooting in New Mexico". NBC News. Associated Press. December 7, 2017. Archived from the original on December 7, 2017. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
31. ^ a b French, Jen (December 7, 2017). "Both victims were student-athletes at Aztec High". KOB-TV. Archived from the original on December 8, 2017. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
32. ^ a b Kellogg, Joshua (December 16, 2017). "Investigation into Aztec High School shooting could take months". Farmington Daily Times. Archived from the original on October 28, 2021. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
33. ^ a b Hankes, Keegan; Amend, Alex (February 5, 2018). "The Alt-Right is Killing People". Southern Poverty Law Center. Archived from the original on June 26, 2019. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
34. ^ a b Bryan, Susan Montoya (February 20, 2018). "Autopsy: Aztec school shooter had swastika, 'SS' markings". Las Cruces Sun News. Associated Press. Archived from the original on September 3, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
35. ^ Kellogg, Joshua (October 17, 2018). "Police chief gives Aztec High School shooting presentation". Farmington Daily Times. Archived from the original on July 29, 2021. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
36. ^ "Family of Aztec school shooting victim considers wrongful death lawsuit". KRQE. October 31, 2019. Archived from the original on September 6, 2022. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
37. ^ a b "Family Files Lawsuit Over Deadly New Mexico School Shooting". Claims Journal. December 13, 2019. Archived from the original on February 26, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
38. ^ Murphy v. USA, 20-557 GBW/SMV (D.N.M. December 14, 2020), archived from the original.
39. ^ Legislative Education Study Committee (June 2018). Minutes (PDF) (Report). Aztec High School. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 7, 2022. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
40. ^ Richter, Gregory; Richter, Ariana (March 12, 2019). "The Incel Killer and the Threat to the Campus Community". Security. Archived from the original on March 14, 2019. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
41. ^ a b Hoffman, Bruce; Ware, Jacob; Shapiro, Ezra (2020). "Assessing the Threat of Incel Violence". Studies in Conflict & Terrorism. 43 (7): 565–587. doi:10.1080/1057610X.2020.1751459. hdl:10023/24162.
42. ^ Sugiura, Lisa (2021). "Weirdos or Extremists?". The Incel Rebellion: The Rise of the Manosphere and the Virtual War Against Women. Emerald Studies In Digital Crime, Technology and Social Harms (1st ed.). Bingley, UK: Emerald Publishing Limited. pp. 69–95. doi:10.1108/978-1-83982-254-420211007. ISBN 978-1-83982-254-4.
43. ^ Kellogg, Joshua (December 8, 2019). "Aztec High School shooting victim remembered by mother as a 'fighter'". Farmington Daily Times. Archived from the original on October 20, 2021. Retrieved September 5, 2022.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Marlin, Bill (February 23, 2018). "Contrary to sheriff's view, New Mexico shooter had ink-marks of racist alt-right". Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
* New Mexico State Police Criminal Bureau (2018). Aztec High School Incident Report (PDF) (Report). State of New Mexico. 2017-28418. Retrieved September 6, 2022 - via www.schoolshooters.info.
* Lonich, Aysha; Langman, Peter (July 7, 2020). William Atchison Online (PDF) (Report). www.schoolshooters.info. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
* Langman, Peter (July 26, 2024). William Atchison’s FBI Interview: Edited and annotated by Peter Langman, Ph.D (PDF) (Report). www.schoolshooters.info. Retrieved September 18, 2024.

* v
* t
* e

School shootings in the United States

Prior to 2000
(full list)|

| 1760s|

* Enoch Brown school massacre (1764)

|

1960s|

* University of Texas (1966)
* Rose-Mar College of Beauty (1966)

1970s|

* Kent State University (1970)
* Jackson State University (1970)
* Olean High School (1974)
* Computer Learning Center (1976)
* California State University, Fullerton (1976)
* Cleveland Elementary School (1979)

1980s|

* 49th Street Elementary School (1984)
* Cokeville Elementary School (1986)
* Hubbard Woods Elementary School (1988)
* Oakland Elementary School (1988)
* Cleveland Elementary School (1989)

1990s|

* University of Iowa (1991)
* Lindhurst High School (1992)
* Bard College at Simon's Rock (1992)
* East Carter High School (1993)
* Wickliffe Middle School (1994)
* Blackville–Hilda High School (1995)
* Richland High School (1995)
* Frontier Middle School (1996)
* San Diego State University (1996)
* Bethel Regional High School (1997)
* Pearl High School (1997)
* Heath High School (1997)
* Westside Middle School (1998)
* Parker Middle School (1998)
* Thurston High School (1998)
* Columbine High School (1999)

2000 to present
(full list)|

| 2000s|

* Buell Elementary School (2000)
* University of Arkansas (2000)
* Santana High School (2001)
* Appalachian School of Law (2002)
* John McDonogh High School (2003)
* Case Western Reserve University (2003)
* Rocori High School (2003)
* Red Lake Senior High School (2005)
* Campbell County High School (2005)
* Pine Middle School (2006)
* Platte Canyon High School (2006)
* Weston High School (2006)
* West Nickel Mines School (2006)
* Virginia Tech (2007)
* Delaware State University (2007)
* SuccessTech Academy (2007)
* Northern Illinois University (2008)
* E.O. Junior High School (2008)
* University of Central Arkansas (2008)

|

2010s|

* University of Alabama in Huntsville (2010)
* Chardon High School (2012)
* Oikos University (2012)
* Sandy Hook Elementary School (2012)
* Santa Monica College (2013)
* Sparks Middle School (2013)
* Marysville Pilchuck High School (2014)
* Umpqua Community College (2015)
* Northern Arizona University (2015)
* University of California, Los Angeles (2016)
* El Centro College (2016)
* Townville Elementary School (2016)
* North Park Elementary School (2017)
* Rancho Tehama Elementary School (2017)
* Aztec High School (2017)
* Marshall County High School (2018)
* Stoneman Douglas High School (2018)
* Santa Fe High School (2018)
* Noblesville West Middle School (2018)
* University of North Carolina at Charlotte (2019)
* STEM School Highlands Ranch (2019)
* Saugus High School (2019)

2020s|

* Oxford High School (2021)
* Liberty Point International Middle School (2022)
* East High School (2022)
* Robb Elementary School (2022)
* Rusdale High School (2022)
* Central Visual and Performing Arts High School (2022)
* University of Virginia (2022)
* Juarez Community Academy (2022)
* Richneck Elementary School (2023)
* Michigan State University (2023)
* Covenant School (2023)
* Virginia Commonwealth University (2023)
* University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2023)
* University of Nevada, Las Vegas (2023)
* Perry High School (2024)
* Apalachee High School (2024)

In media|

| Film and
television|

* The Deadly Tower (1975)
* Detention: The Siege at Johnson High (1997)
* Duck! The Carbine High Massacre (1999)
* Bang Bang You're Dead (2002)
* Bowling for Columbine (2002)
* Heart of America (2002)
* Home Room (2002)
* "Jimmy" (2002)
* Elephant (2003)
* Zero Day (2003)
* American Yearbook (2004)
* "Time Stands Still" (2004)
* The Only Way (2004)
* Dawn Anna (2005)
* All the Boys Love Mandy Lane (2006)
* American Gun (2006)
* State's Evidence (2006)
* The Life Before Her Eyes (2007)
* April Showers (2009)
* Beautiful Boy (2010)
* We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)
* Hello Herman (2012)
* Rudderless (2014)
* Sins of Our Youth (2014)
* The Cokeville Miracle (2015)
* I'm Not Ashamed (2016)
* "Dead Kids" (2018)
* Vox Lux (2018)
* Safety (2019)
* If Anything Happens I Love You (2020)
* Run Hide Fight (2020)
* The Fallout (2021)
* Mass (2021)
* Eric Larue (2023)
* The Graduates (2023)
* The Truth vs. Alex Jones (2024)

|

Literature|

* Give a Boy a Gun (2000)
* Nobody Left to Hate (2001)
* No Easy Answers (2002)
* After (2003)
* Columbine (2009)
* Hate List (2009)
* "'No Way to Prevent This', Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens" (2014—)
* A Mother's Reckoning (2016)

Other|

* Pico's School (1999)
* Lullaby for Columbine (1999)
* Shoot (Hellblazer) (1999/2010)
* "The Nobodies" (2000)
* columbinus (2005)
* Super Columbine Massacre RPG! (2005)
* "Valentine's Day" (2013)
* The Library (2014)

Related terms
and topics|

* Active shooter
* Columbine effect
* Gun violence in the United States
* List of school shootings in the United States by death toll
* Mass shootings in the United States
* Thoughts and prayers
* School shooting
* School violence

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