The man accused of killing one student and wounding three others at a small Seattle university Thursday told police he planned to kill as many people as possible before turning the gun on himself.
NBC reports a judge found probable cause Friday to hold suspected gunman Aaron Ybarra at King County Jail without bail.
He is scheduled to be arraigned next week on one count of premeditated murder and one count of assault. (Via CNN)
CBS quotes Ybarra's attorney, who says her client has suffered from mental health problems for a long time and is currently on suicide watch at the jail. She also said Ybarra wants to apologize for the "suffering he has caused."
Police told KIRO Ybarra was fascinated with school shootings, particularly with the tragedy that rocked Columbine High School in 1999. He even told detectives he had visited the site where the tragedy took place. (Via MSNBC)
Authorities told The Seattle Times 26-year-old Ybarra wanted to carry out a mass shooting at Seattle Pacific University to kill as many people as he could, then kill himself. One law enforcement official told the paper, "He was hellbent on a killing a lot of people today."
But Ybarra wasn't able to carry out that plan, thanks to a brave student building monitor who police say pepper-sprayed and tackled him as he reloaded his shotgun.
"Twenty-two-year-old Jon Meis put his own life in danger to take down the gunman. Friends describe the engineering student and building monitor as shy, intelligent and very close to his family." (Via KCPQ)
"That's an unbelievable act of courage, of bravery, of assessing the moment and acting." (Via Fox News)
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by police, Ybarra has admitted to walking into the lobby of the engineering and math hall at Seattle Pacific and opening fire. (Via KOMO)
KIRO reports a 19-year-old man died from his wounds at the hospital, and a woman in her 20s is now in critical condition. Two more men were also hospitalized and are reportedly in satisfactory condition.
Officials say Ybarra wasn't a student at Seattle Pacific, and the motive for the shooting is still unclear. This is the first school shooting in Seattle since April 2007.
