WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.680 --> 00:00:02.799 We have an active shooter. We have an acre shoot. 2 00:00:02.799 --> 00:00:09.359 It's go ahead of me, Claire with a mass casualty. 3 00:00:08.119 --> 00:00:11.640 Welcome to Active Shooter, a podcast that covers the whys, 4 00:00:12.240 --> 00:00:15.960 the hows, and the aftermath of active shooter and mass 5 00:00:16.000 --> 00:00:24.280 casualty events. They have an active shooter in the building. 6 00:00:24.280 --> 00:00:29.839 A teching call says they are big attacks. We got 7 00:00:29.920 --> 00:00:32.960 chush fire at four fifteen as broaching ninety one, so 8 00:00:32.960 --> 00:00:49.280 I'm like, oh, I'm at a fire on active shooter. 9 00:00:49.479 --> 00:00:52.880 Orts of an active shooter, active shooter, active shooter. 10 00:00:52.679 --> 00:00:57.679 In mash casualty incidents. Thank you for listening. 11 00:01:00.079 --> 00:01:02.960 You are listening to Active Shooter, a podcast that may 12 00:01:02.960 --> 00:01:07.200 contain adult themes, explicit language, and graphic depictions of violence. 13 00:01:07.760 --> 00:01:10.920 Portions of this show may be traumatic for those under eighteen. 14 00:01:11.640 --> 00:01:13.840 Listener discretion is advised. 15 00:01:15.519 --> 00:01:19.280 Twenty one years ago, a school shooting very briefly dominated 16 00:01:19.319 --> 00:01:22.640 headlines in September of two thousand and three. It was 17 00:01:22.640 --> 00:01:25.319 about four and a half years after what is arguably 18 00:01:25.359 --> 00:01:29.120 the most widely known school shooting in US history at 19 00:01:29.159 --> 00:01:34.239 Columbine High School on April twentieth, nineteen ninety nine. The 20 00:01:34.280 --> 00:01:37.680 shooting we are covering today wasn't as deadly and didn't 21 00:01:37.719 --> 00:01:39.760 seem to make the same kind of impact in the 22 00:01:39.799 --> 00:01:45.359 media as Columbine School mass shootings are much more common 23 00:01:45.400 --> 00:01:49.439 today than twenty one years ago, and perhaps the media 24 00:01:49.480 --> 00:01:55.000 held itself to a slightly higher standard. Still, all these 25 00:01:55.120 --> 00:01:58.959 years later, the students at Rocori High School are adults 26 00:01:59.000 --> 00:02:03.200 with children and and even some grandchildren of their own. 27 00:02:03.400 --> 00:02:07.799 They have watched the world around us become complacent and 28 00:02:07.879 --> 00:02:12.719 almost indifferent to maschool shootings, feelings that they will never 29 00:02:12.840 --> 00:02:18.280 comprehend or share with the world. Worse, they face the 30 00:02:18.439 --> 00:02:22.719 very real possibility that the person who shattered their innocence 31 00:02:23.199 --> 00:02:26.560 will one day walk free, free to wander the same 32 00:02:26.639 --> 00:02:32.000 streets as their children and grandchildren. For their sake, we 33 00:02:32.199 --> 00:02:35.520 pray that the way we view guns, mass shootings, and 34 00:02:35.680 --> 00:02:40.639 mental health has changed significantly by then. Today's case is 35 00:02:40.680 --> 00:02:46.120 dedicated to the two deceased students, Seth Bartel and Aaron Rawlins, 36 00:02:46.599 --> 00:02:50.439 as well as any injured survivors. We'd like to make 37 00:02:50.639 --> 00:02:53.639 a special mention in honour of the students and faculty 38 00:02:53.960 --> 00:02:57.360 at Rocori High School, along with their families and loved 39 00:02:57.360 --> 00:03:14.439 ones who are impacted by this tragedy. Active Shooter the 40 00:03:14.479 --> 00:03:17.680 podcast is a High five Holly production, and I'm your 41 00:03:17.680 --> 00:03:21.759 host JT. If you've listened to our prior episodes, you 42 00:03:21.919 --> 00:03:25.000 know that the Active Shooter podcast team has taken the 43 00:03:25.039 --> 00:03:28.400 no notoriety pledge and we will not be sharing the 44 00:03:28.439 --> 00:03:32.159 real name of the shooters that we cover. We will 45 00:03:32.199 --> 00:03:34.800 be giving the shooters a pseudonym and refer to them 46 00:03:34.879 --> 00:03:38.400 by that name throughout the episode. This will help in 47 00:03:38.479 --> 00:03:41.599 clearing up any confusion in the story while remaining true 48 00:03:41.599 --> 00:03:44.599 to our pledge and not naming the shooter by their 49 00:03:44.639 --> 00:04:06.159 actual name. We will refer to today's shooter as Gabe. Wednesday, 50 00:04:06.199 --> 00:04:09.479 September twenty fourth, two thousand and three commenced much like 51 00:04:09.680 --> 00:04:12.520 every other morning for students at the Rocori High School, 52 00:04:12.879 --> 00:04:16.319 located at five point thirty four Fifth Avenue North in 53 00:04:16.399 --> 00:04:21.480 cold Spring, Minnesota. Cold Spring is situated within Stearns County 54 00:04:21.800 --> 00:04:26.160 and sits approximately fourteen miles southwest of Saint Cloud, the 55 00:04:26.240 --> 00:04:30.680 twelfth largest city in Minnesota. Cold Spring, for its part, 56 00:04:31.120 --> 00:04:34.000 is a rather small town, consisting of just over four 57 00:04:34.040 --> 00:04:38.680 thousand residents as of the twenty ten census. The morning 58 00:04:38.759 --> 00:04:42.639 was chilly, as many autumn mornings in Minnesota are, and 59 00:04:42.720 --> 00:04:46.279 it was cloudy, though it warmed up to the mid fifties. 60 00:04:47.399 --> 00:04:50.279 There was only one student attending classes that morning who 61 00:04:50.360 --> 00:04:53.800 knew that each student would leave that day an entirely 62 00:04:54.000 --> 00:04:58.959 different child than they were walking into the building. Only 63 00:04:59.079 --> 00:05:02.839 fifteen years old, Gabe was aware of the panic and 64 00:05:03.000 --> 00:05:07.480 palpable fear that would soon permeate the hallways of their 65 00:05:07.600 --> 00:05:11.600 educational institution. It's important to note that this was two 66 00:05:11.639 --> 00:05:15.800 thousand and three. School shootings were not commonplace, and most 67 00:05:15.839 --> 00:05:19.560 students still felt a sense of safety within those hallways 68 00:05:19.800 --> 00:05:24.439 and classrooms. Before Gabe came to school on Wednesday morning, 69 00:05:24.800 --> 00:05:27.759 he snuck into his parents' bedroom and stole his dad's 70 00:05:27.800 --> 00:05:32.759 twenty two caliber semi automatic stainless steel handgun. The weapon 71 00:05:33.000 --> 00:05:36.240 wasn't loaded, and the bullets were hidden elsewhere in the house. 72 00:05:37.399 --> 00:05:40.920 That didn't matter to Gabe. He knew where everything was hidden, 73 00:05:41.519 --> 00:05:45.439 so he collected the bullets, loaded the gun, and placed 74 00:05:45.439 --> 00:05:49.360 it into his backpack. Gabe left for school wearing a 75 00:05:49.399 --> 00:05:52.920 T shirt that was either black or blue with a 76 00:05:52.920 --> 00:05:56.800 white stripe. Today was the day that Gabe was going 77 00:05:56.879 --> 00:06:00.319 to make sure that his school bully, Seth Barton Tell, 78 00:06:00.959 --> 00:06:05.240 was going to pay. Whether Seth was truly. Gabe's own 79 00:06:05.319 --> 00:06:09.519 personal bully is debatable, but in Gabe's mind, there was 80 00:06:09.680 --> 00:06:13.199 no doubt he felt tortured by Seth and had for 81 00:06:13.279 --> 00:06:16.920 many years. Gabe couldn't take it anymore, and he finally 82 00:06:16.959 --> 00:06:20.199 decided that he'd put an end to the constant bullying. 83 00:06:21.199 --> 00:06:24.439 He would take his father's gun to school shoot Seth, 84 00:06:25.120 --> 00:06:28.560 and the consequence would be that everyone would know, you 85 00:06:28.680 --> 00:06:33.040 don't mess with Gabe. You don't tease him or call 86 00:06:33.120 --> 00:06:37.360 him pizza face. You don't laugh or point or push him. 87 00:06:37.680 --> 00:06:41.399 Today he was going to show Seth why. It was 88 00:06:41.639 --> 00:06:45.240 very evident, both from his full confession and from his 89 00:06:45.319 --> 00:06:49.439 writings that were discovered later, that Gabe's sole motive and 90 00:06:49.639 --> 00:06:56.439 intention was to seek out Seth and shoot him. Just 91 00:06:56.519 --> 00:06:59.639 before Jim class started, Gabe took his backpack and entered 92 00:06:59.639 --> 00:07:02.720 the locker for reference, The locker room is located in 93 00:07:02.759 --> 00:07:05.360 the basement of the school, while the gym was one 94 00:07:05.399 --> 00:07:10.040 floor upstairs. Gabe withdrew the firearm, entered a bathroom stall, 95 00:07:10.439 --> 00:07:14.399 cocked it, and replaced it into his bag. He then 96 00:07:14.560 --> 00:07:17.959 sat on a bench to wait for his target. Other 97 00:07:18.040 --> 00:07:22.040 students entered and exited, but Gabe didn't ever see Seth enter. 98 00:07:22.800 --> 00:07:25.600 After sitting there for a few minutes, Gabe suddenly noticed 99 00:07:25.639 --> 00:07:29.439 Seth walking towards the exit. He had apparently entered without 100 00:07:29.519 --> 00:07:32.600 Gabe's seeing and changed in another part of the locker 101 00:07:32.680 --> 00:07:36.600 room where he wasn't visible. Seth and another student were 102 00:07:36.639 --> 00:07:40.360 walking towards the hallway when Gabe again pulled the gun 103 00:07:40.399 --> 00:07:47.120 out of his bag, aimed and fired at Seth. It 104 00:07:47.199 --> 00:07:49.879 was eleven forty four am when Seth was struck in 105 00:07:49.920 --> 00:07:53.079 the chest by the first shot. He clutched his side 106 00:07:53.319 --> 00:07:56.120 and rushed towards the hallway leading up to the gym, 107 00:07:56.600 --> 00:08:00.839 the classmates by his side. Gabe followed after him, guns 108 00:08:00.920 --> 00:08:05.399 still aimed at Seth's retreating back, Gabe attempted to shoot again, 109 00:08:05.480 --> 00:08:08.959 but the gun jammed. He quickly cleared the jam and 110 00:08:09.079 --> 00:08:11.639 raised the weapon and fired off another shot before Seth 111 00:08:11.720 --> 00:08:14.600 managed to make it to the stairs. He missed Seth, 112 00:08:14.839 --> 00:08:17.720 and the bullet struck student Aaron Rawlins in the neck, 113 00:08:18.319 --> 00:08:22.439 killing him instantly. Aerin was in the midst of walking 114 00:08:22.560 --> 00:08:26.279 towards Gabe, trying to reason with him when he was 115 00:08:26.319 --> 00:08:29.680 suddenly hit. Aaron's hands immediately flew up to his neck, 116 00:08:29.720 --> 00:08:32.600 where he desperately tried to apply life saving pressure to 117 00:08:32.679 --> 00:08:37.440 the wound. As he fell to the ground, Aaron murmured, quote, 118 00:08:38.120 --> 00:08:45.279 help me, I'm hurt, Help me, I've been shot. Sadly, 119 00:08:45.720 --> 00:08:47.879 Aaron was shot in a place and manner where life 120 00:08:47.879 --> 00:08:52.840 saving intervention wasn't possible. Seventeen year old Aaron Rawlins was 121 00:08:52.840 --> 00:08:57.000 born on February third, nineteen eighty six, to Tom and 122 00:08:57.080 --> 00:09:03.559 Sherry Rawlins. His hobbies included golfer hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, and 123 00:09:03.679 --> 00:09:06.840 most of all, spending time with his family and friends. 124 00:09:07.480 --> 00:09:10.720 Those who knew him best say that Aaron was outgoing 125 00:09:10.879 --> 00:09:14.759 and easily got along with others. The entire senior class 126 00:09:14.799 --> 00:09:19.200 at Rocori was named honorary pallbearers, sitting together at the 127 00:09:19.240 --> 00:09:23.080 funeral for one of their own, a child who should 128 00:09:23.120 --> 00:09:26.240 have been graduating with them in a few months. Students 129 00:09:26.279 --> 00:09:28.960 at the funeral wore black and white T shirts that 130 00:09:29.039 --> 00:09:33.879 bore Eron's photo on the front. His death profoundly affected 131 00:09:34.559 --> 00:09:55.879 everyone who knew him. Meanwhile, Seth and his classmate made 132 00:09:55.879 --> 00:09:57.919 it to the stairs and were climbing up when Seth 133 00:09:58.000 --> 00:10:02.480 lifted his shirt exclaiming quote, look, I'm shot. The two 134 00:10:02.559 --> 00:10:04.559 boys made it into the gym, where they sought out 135 00:10:04.559 --> 00:10:08.480 their pe teacher Gabe entered the gymnasium directly behind the 136 00:10:08.480 --> 00:10:12.080 boys and raised his gun once more, walking towards Seth. 137 00:10:13.480 --> 00:10:16.279 Though eye witness accounts of how close he was differ, 138 00:10:16.559 --> 00:10:19.200 it seemed that Gabe was approximately only two feet away 139 00:10:19.200 --> 00:10:23.200 from Seth when he shot him again, striking him in 140 00:10:23.279 --> 00:10:29.919 the forehead. Fourteen year old Seth Bartel was born coincidentally 141 00:10:30.399 --> 00:10:34.759 the same date as Aaron Rawlins February third, but three 142 00:10:34.879 --> 00:10:39.759 years later in nineteen eighty nine. Seth was adored by 143 00:10:39.759 --> 00:10:43.679 his parents, Raleigh and Kim Bartel, and was sibling to 144 00:10:43.799 --> 00:10:48.480 Jesse and Whitney. Loved Ones described Seth as a high 145 00:10:48.639 --> 00:10:52.919 energy young man who was an extreme sports enthusiast. He 146 00:10:53.039 --> 00:10:56.759 snowboarded and skateboarded, and was happiest when he was out 147 00:10:56.799 --> 00:11:05.320 in active. Seth was buried at Saint Boniface Cemetery in 148 00:11:05.399 --> 00:11:10.360 Cold Spring, and he is deeply mourned each and every day. 149 00:11:12.360 --> 00:11:15.679 Pe teacher Mark Johnson was sitting on the jim bleachers 150 00:11:15.720 --> 00:11:18.200 working on paperwork when he heard a commotion and looked 151 00:11:18.279 --> 00:11:22.559 up in time to see a student Gabe shoot his 152 00:11:22.720 --> 00:11:28.440 classmate seth in the head. In disbelief at what his 153 00:11:28.559 --> 00:11:32.240 eyes had just witnessed. Mark began to walk after Gabe, 154 00:11:32.440 --> 00:11:36.320 who was headed towards the exit. He stopped and turned 155 00:11:36.320 --> 00:11:40.600 to see his teacher, and he aimed the gun at Mark. 156 00:11:41.200 --> 00:11:44.519 Mark stopped, raised his hands in the surrender motion while 157 00:11:44.600 --> 00:11:50.759 loudly and sharply saying no. Gabe lowered the firearm, ejected 158 00:11:50.799 --> 00:11:54.399 the remaining shells onto the ground, and dropped the gun. 159 00:11:55.480 --> 00:11:59.840 Mark purposely strode to the weapon, snatched it up, grabbed 160 00:12:00.279 --> 00:12:05.440 by the wrist, and walked him to the school's administrative office. 161 00:12:05.480 --> 00:12:09.399 Four minutes after the shooting started, police were on the scene. 162 00:12:09.480 --> 00:12:12.480 Students were gathered from all corners of the school and 163 00:12:12.600 --> 00:12:16.200 released on the east side of the building as classrooms 164 00:12:16.200 --> 00:12:22.000 were cleared one by one. Police escorted petrified students to 165 00:12:22.039 --> 00:12:25.799 the elementary school nearby, where those students and faculty who 166 00:12:25.879 --> 00:12:28.840 witnessed the shooting were sent to the media center at 167 00:12:28.840 --> 00:12:33.080 the high school to be interviewed and give statements. It's 168 00:12:33.120 --> 00:12:35.919 a very stark contrast to the way we respond to 169 00:12:35.919 --> 00:12:40.320 school shootings today. Emergency technicians arrived on the scene and 170 00:12:40.360 --> 00:12:43.879 began attempting life saving measures on aaron Rawlins as he 171 00:12:44.000 --> 00:12:47.600 was rushed to Saint Cloud Hospital, where he was declared 172 00:12:47.600 --> 00:12:52.960 dead on arrival. Seth was airlifted by Lifeling Helicopter Services 173 00:12:53.000 --> 00:12:56.600 to Saint Cloud Hospital, where he was sprinted into surgery 174 00:12:56.639 --> 00:13:01.840 to treat massive head and brain trauma. Seth succumbed to 175 00:13:01.879 --> 00:13:07.759 his extensive injuries, passing away sixteen days later on October eleventh, 176 00:13:08.159 --> 00:13:13.159 two thousand and three. As expected, police immediately whisked Gabe 177 00:13:13.159 --> 00:13:16.559 away to the local station for questioning. He was eventually 178 00:13:16.600 --> 00:13:20.879 interrogated by Agent Ken MacDonald of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. 179 00:13:21.679 --> 00:13:25.399 Gabe fully admitted to shooting Seth, but he expressed surprise 180 00:13:25.519 --> 00:13:28.559 that anyone else was shot and killed, claiming that wasn't 181 00:13:28.600 --> 00:13:34.080 his intent. He only meant to shoot Seth, but he 182 00:13:34.159 --> 00:13:37.000 admitted that he could have missed and thus shot someone 183 00:13:37.000 --> 00:13:40.960 else by mistake. When he was informed of Aaron Rollins's death, 184 00:13:41.320 --> 00:13:45.720 Gabe began to weep, claiming he didn't want to kill anyone. 185 00:13:45.799 --> 00:13:49.679 He said he didn't even mean to seriously injure anyone, 186 00:13:49.799 --> 00:13:53.559 that he only wanted to shoot Seth in the shoulder 187 00:13:53.679 --> 00:13:56.519 or arm so Seth would have a scar and always 188 00:13:56.519 --> 00:13:59.879 remember Gabe just like Gabe would always remember the bullying 189 00:14:00.080 --> 00:14:05.279 he endured. Gabe continued his confession, saying he didn't believe 190 00:14:05.600 --> 00:14:09.240 a twenty two was powerful enough to cause much harm, 191 00:14:09.679 --> 00:14:13.200 let alone kill someone. Gabe admitted that he planned the 192 00:14:13.200 --> 00:14:17.279 shooting for at least two days prior. He essentially cased 193 00:14:17.320 --> 00:14:20.519 the school by looking for metal detectors and security cameras 194 00:14:20.519 --> 00:14:25.559 throughout the building. To a casual observer or listener, it 195 00:14:25.679 --> 00:14:28.120 might have seemed that Gabe truly thought he could shoot 196 00:14:28.120 --> 00:14:32.919 someone and only injure not kill them. However, when agent 197 00:14:33.000 --> 00:14:36.279 MacDonald asked Gabe if he believed he'd done something wrong, 198 00:14:37.080 --> 00:14:43.559 Gabe responded in the affirmative, replying simply, yeah, it was obvious. 199 00:14:43.679 --> 00:14:48.440 Gabe knew he did something absolutely terrible. He understood that 200 00:14:48.559 --> 00:14:52.639 he had taken not just one, but two lives, and 201 00:14:52.720 --> 00:14:56.240 he most assuredly grasped that every action he took on 202 00:14:56.240 --> 00:14:59.600 September twenty fourth, two thousand and three, had a deadly 203 00:14:59.639 --> 00:15:04.840 conscert sequence that he must pay for. Gabe understood he 204 00:15:04.840 --> 00:15:10.600 would be going to prison. Fifteen year old Gabe was 205 00:15:10.600 --> 00:15:14.360 born on July nineteenth, nineteen eighty eight, the only child 206 00:15:14.480 --> 00:15:18.320 to loving parents who adored their son Gabe's parents married 207 00:15:18.320 --> 00:15:21.399 in nineteen eighty five, and after having their son, their 208 00:15:21.440 --> 00:15:26.679 family settled in a home in Cold Spring. They each 209 00:15:26.720 --> 00:15:30.159 had children from previous marriages, giving Gabe a total of 210 00:15:30.279 --> 00:15:33.720 five half siblings, three from his father and two from 211 00:15:33.720 --> 00:15:36.320 his mother. All of his siblings were quite a bit 212 00:15:36.399 --> 00:15:39.559 older than Gabe, and none were living at home at 213 00:15:39.559 --> 00:15:42.600 the time of the shooting, though each had briefly lived 214 00:15:42.600 --> 00:15:47.120 together before the elder children started moving out. Gabe's dad 215 00:15:47.159 --> 00:15:51.480 worked for Cold Spring County Sheriff Department as a deputy sheriff. 216 00:15:51.879 --> 00:15:54.720 He worked in law enforcement for twenty one years, with 217 00:15:54.840 --> 00:15:59.600 fourteen of them spent working in undercover narcotics enforcement. Gabe's 218 00:15:59.600 --> 00:16:02.879 mother worked at the Golden Plump Factory, a job she 219 00:16:03.039 --> 00:16:07.039 held for over fourteen years. The couple split up in 220 00:16:07.039 --> 00:16:10.600 two thousand, separating for a period of about six months. 221 00:16:11.039 --> 00:16:13.720 Gabe and his mother moved into an apartment in Saint Cloud. 222 00:16:14.279 --> 00:16:19.600 Gabe took this separation very very hard. It affected the 223 00:16:19.639 --> 00:16:23.240 young boy immensely, so much so that when his parents 224 00:16:23.240 --> 00:16:26.679 eventually got back together, Gabe went out of his way 225 00:16:27.039 --> 00:16:31.279 to never upset his mother or misbehave. He was constantly 226 00:16:31.360 --> 00:16:34.799 anxious that something he did would cause them to separate, 227 00:16:34.919 --> 00:16:38.759 and if they even got into an apartment, Gabe shut 228 00:16:38.840 --> 00:16:42.559 down and became paranoid that his family would break up again. 229 00:16:43.080 --> 00:16:47.440 Not apartment, He was constantly anxious that something he did 230 00:16:47.480 --> 00:16:50.559 would cause them to separate, and if they ever even 231 00:16:50.639 --> 00:16:54.679 got into an argument, Gabe shut down and became paranoid 232 00:16:54.679 --> 00:16:58.120 that his family would break up again forever this time. 233 00:16:58.919 --> 00:17:02.159 His mom described her as having a normal childhood and 234 00:17:02.200 --> 00:17:04.839 she had a typical pregnancy with him. There were no 235 00:17:04.920 --> 00:17:09.160 early childhood illnesses, injuries, or other known traumas. He was 236 00:17:09.200 --> 00:17:13.000 something of a quote mama's boy, and that he gravitated 237 00:17:13.000 --> 00:17:16.640 towards his mother more and developed an exceptionally close bond 238 00:17:16.720 --> 00:17:20.519 with her. In two thousand, which was during the separation 239 00:17:20.680 --> 00:17:23.039 time frame, Gabe and his mom lived in the Saint 240 00:17:23.119 --> 00:17:27.559 Cloud apartment, Gabe's behavior became increasingly combative with his mother. 241 00:17:28.160 --> 00:17:31.039 She attributes the change in his behavior to the anxiety 242 00:17:31.200 --> 00:17:34.880 experience because of the separation, which seems to track because 243 00:17:35.240 --> 00:17:38.640 Gabe seemed to simultaneously become very protective over his mother. 244 00:17:43.240 --> 00:17:48.839 When his folks reconciled, Gabe was relieved, yet he felt conflicted. 245 00:17:49.599 --> 00:17:52.480 He couldn't enjoy his family being back together, because he 246 00:17:52.559 --> 00:17:55.920 lived in a perpetual state of distress that they would 247 00:17:55.920 --> 00:18:00.680 separate again. Around the same time Gabe's parents got back together, 248 00:18:01.119 --> 00:18:04.640 he began noticing thoughts and feelings he was experiencing that 249 00:18:05.079 --> 00:18:08.559 didn't feel normal. Gabe seemed to have some sense of 250 00:18:09.119 --> 00:18:12.319 his mental health decline, but he was unable to vocalize 251 00:18:12.359 --> 00:18:15.680 his fears to his parents because he worried it would 252 00:18:15.720 --> 00:18:19.359 throw off their delicate balance at home. He developed an 253 00:18:19.359 --> 00:18:23.119 irrational paranoia that he would cause his parents to separate again. 254 00:18:23.640 --> 00:18:26.759 So the more his mental health deteriorated, the more Gabe 255 00:18:26.799 --> 00:18:30.759 withdrew from the world. He became very isolated and started 256 00:18:30.799 --> 00:18:34.759 spending nearly all of his time alone. Gabe had little 257 00:18:34.799 --> 00:18:39.039 interest in physical activity. He occasionally went snowmobiling with his 258 00:18:39.119 --> 00:18:42.720 older brother, but typically his time with his family was 259 00:18:42.759 --> 00:18:46.880 spent doing things like playing card and board games. Gabe 260 00:18:46.960 --> 00:18:50.319 made an effort to interact with his family just enough 261 00:18:50.400 --> 00:18:53.640 to ward off concerns. He tried out for the football 262 00:18:53.680 --> 00:18:56.119 team in seventh grade, but he didn't make the team 263 00:18:56.240 --> 00:19:01.240 due to experiencing blackouts when he physically exerted himself. Gabe 264 00:19:01.319 --> 00:19:04.119 later claimed that he never told anyone about the blackouts, 265 00:19:04.160 --> 00:19:07.720 because again, he was worried about upsetting his parents or 266 00:19:07.720 --> 00:19:10.319 causing issues that would make his parents split up again. 267 00:19:11.480 --> 00:19:14.759 There doesn't seem to be any indication whatsoever that his 268 00:19:14.880 --> 00:19:17.799 parents fought a lot after getting back together, or that 269 00:19:17.839 --> 00:19:20.720 they gave Gabe a specific reason to fear their separation. 270 00:19:21.960 --> 00:19:26.279 Gabe acted as though another separation was inevitable, but research 271 00:19:26.319 --> 00:19:29.720 only seems to suggest that his parents worked things out 272 00:19:30.039 --> 00:19:33.599 and were happy to be back together. During seventh and 273 00:19:33.640 --> 00:19:37.680 eighth grades, Gabe continued to isolate and withdraw. His parents 274 00:19:37.880 --> 00:19:40.960 may have intervened, but Gabe went out of his way 275 00:19:41.039 --> 00:19:44.400 to present an image of a high schooler who regularly 276 00:19:44.480 --> 00:19:47.680 hung out with his friends and did high school boy things. 277 00:19:48.599 --> 00:19:52.920 He was rapidly losing touch with reality, but no one 278 00:19:52.960 --> 00:19:55.319 seemed to know because Gabe was able to hide it 279 00:19:55.359 --> 00:20:00.039 from everyone around him. It seems impossible, but at the 280 00:20:00.079 --> 00:20:03.279 risk of being repetitive, it was two thousand and three. 281 00:20:04.079 --> 00:20:07.839 Social media wasn't nearly as prevalent, and people weren't broadcasting 282 00:20:08.000 --> 00:20:11.680 every minute of their life to the entire world. Gabe 283 00:20:11.680 --> 00:20:14.480 faked it for his parents, and because he had a 284 00:20:14.680 --> 00:20:18.440 genuine connection with his mom, he enjoyed running errands with 285 00:20:18.640 --> 00:20:23.079 and for her, and helping her cook. He did a 286 00:20:23.119 --> 00:20:25.799 lot around the house to keep his mother from stressing out. 287 00:20:26.599 --> 00:20:30.039 Keeping his mom happy and worry free is how and 288 00:20:30.079 --> 00:20:33.400 why Gabe would later claim that he successfully concealed his 289 00:20:33.519 --> 00:20:44.400 downward spiral from her. After the separation, Gabe developed a 290 00:20:44.480 --> 00:20:50.759 fascination for making things, things being explosive devices like bombs. 291 00:20:51.440 --> 00:20:53.880 He told a psychiatrist after the shooting that he made 292 00:20:53.920 --> 00:20:56.039 the bombs in response to a voice in his head 293 00:20:56.319 --> 00:21:00.240 that instructed him to do so. He created explosive out 294 00:21:00.279 --> 00:21:04.079 of test tubes he stole from school, shotgun shells, and wires. 295 00:21:05.039 --> 00:21:08.000 Gabe's interest in the military increased at this time because 296 00:21:08.119 --> 00:21:10.839 he associated making bombs as something one would do in 297 00:21:10.880 --> 00:21:16.720 the military. Gabe began to be convinced that he didn't 298 00:21:16.759 --> 00:21:19.839 even need to attend school, believing his intelligence to be 299 00:21:19.920 --> 00:21:24.400 off the charts and indeed certainly far more advanced than 300 00:21:24.440 --> 00:21:28.599 his classmates. The only issues that seemed evident was Gabe's 301 00:21:28.640 --> 00:21:32.440 claim that he was experiencing intense teasing that rose to 302 00:21:32.480 --> 00:21:35.799 the level of bullying. He would say that Seth Bartel 303 00:21:35.960 --> 00:21:40.319 was the main bully who relentlessly made fun of Gabe's acne, 304 00:21:40.359 --> 00:21:46.240 which admittedly was rather severe. Allegedly, Seth called Gabe pizza face, 305 00:21:46.279 --> 00:21:50.519 and he pushed, shoved, poked, and slapped Gabe. There don't 306 00:21:50.519 --> 00:21:53.359 appear to be many, if any reports to the school 307 00:21:53.400 --> 00:21:57.039 that Gabe was having a difficult time. Again, being that 308 00:21:57.079 --> 00:21:59.920 this was two thousand and three, the world didn't acknowledge 309 00:21:59.960 --> 00:22:03.720 that such behaviors like teasing and rough housing could indeed 310 00:22:03.799 --> 00:22:08.440 be very dangerous and harmful to a young person. As 311 00:22:08.480 --> 00:22:12.079 a young teen, Gabe's father introduced him to firearms, though 312 00:22:12.240 --> 00:22:15.480 not in any sort of nefarious way. Because his dad 313 00:22:15.599 --> 00:22:17.799 was in law enforcement, he wanted to ensure his son 314 00:22:17.920 --> 00:22:22.519 understood guns, safety and how to properly handle firearms. Gabe 315 00:22:22.559 --> 00:22:25.559 completed a firearms safety class, and he eventually took and 316 00:22:25.759 --> 00:22:31.200 passed the Minnesota Fire and Arm Safety Training Exam. Because 317 00:22:31.240 --> 00:22:34.720 his dad was a police officer a narcotics officer, that 318 00:22:35.279 --> 00:22:38.599 his dad watched Gabe for signs of being overly interested 319 00:22:38.640 --> 00:22:41.559 in guns, and he never noticed his son spending an 320 00:22:41.599 --> 00:22:47.920 inordinate amount of time handling them, researching, or reading about them. Academically, 321 00:22:48.119 --> 00:22:52.119 Gabe struggled in elementary school. His grades were below average. 322 00:22:52.240 --> 00:22:54.519 When he was in seventh grade, his language usage and 323 00:22:54.640 --> 00:22:58.920 expression was rated at a fourth grade level. His report 324 00:22:58.960 --> 00:23:04.519 cards contained score such as outstanding, satisfactory, though most were 325 00:23:05.200 --> 00:23:11.079 needs improvement. During the summer following seventh grade, Gabe attended 326 00:23:11.079 --> 00:23:14.559 a summer program where he reached the partial mastery in 327 00:23:14.720 --> 00:23:18.799 problem solving. Despite no clear understanding of how or why, 328 00:23:19.119 --> 00:23:22.720 Gabe's brain just seemed to stop developing normally in his 329 00:23:22.720 --> 00:23:25.960 preteen in early teen years. By eighth grade, he was 330 00:23:26.000 --> 00:23:29.519 failing four classes, yet in his own mind he was 331 00:23:29.640 --> 00:23:33.920 rather brilliant and didn't actually need school. Most of the 332 00:23:33.920 --> 00:23:36.960 background on Gabe didn't come out until after the shooting. 333 00:23:37.839 --> 00:23:40.240 Gabe claims that he kept everything a secret from his 334 00:23:40.279 --> 00:23:43.200 family because he knew it would cause problems, which he 335 00:23:43.240 --> 00:23:46.720 immediately assumed would break his parents up. It was around 336 00:23:46.839 --> 00:23:49.759 the time he was in sixth grade when Gabe started 337 00:23:49.799 --> 00:23:53.759 to hear a male voice. The first time it happened, 338 00:23:54.119 --> 00:23:56.799 he was walking home from a friend's house when he 339 00:23:56.799 --> 00:24:01.039 heard someone say his name. It was a muffled voice, 340 00:24:01.200 --> 00:24:05.759 but they most definitely said Gabe's name. He was so 341 00:24:05.839 --> 00:24:08.559 sure that he heard the voice that he looked up 342 00:24:08.640 --> 00:24:12.039 and around, but no one was around, so he let 343 00:24:12.039 --> 00:24:15.279 it go. The next time it happened, he was on 344 00:24:15.319 --> 00:24:18.400 the school bus. Gabe reported. The next time he recalled 345 00:24:18.440 --> 00:24:20.839 hearing the voice was when he was playing with his dog, 346 00:24:20.880 --> 00:24:24.039 a Doberman pincher. Gabe stopped when he heard the voice 347 00:24:24.039 --> 00:24:28.240 speak very clearly. However, it was obvious to Gabe that 348 00:24:28.279 --> 00:24:31.599 the dog didn't hear anything. The dog was very territorial 349 00:24:31.599 --> 00:24:34.640 and would have reacted if someone it didn't know was around. 350 00:24:35.640 --> 00:24:38.519 He reported that the voice told Gabe that he was 351 00:24:38.640 --> 00:24:43.759 Dante lu Cassilvara. Gabe denied picking the name up from 352 00:24:43.759 --> 00:24:46.839 a video game or having heard of it from anywhere 353 00:24:46.880 --> 00:24:50.400 besides the voice. Gabe said that the voice later changed 354 00:24:50.519 --> 00:24:54.680 its name to Jake. Jake continued to speak to Gabe, 355 00:24:54.839 --> 00:24:57.000 and although he tried his best to ignore Jake, he 356 00:24:57.079 --> 00:25:00.279 started to do things like build bombs at Jake's sto direction, 357 00:25:00.960 --> 00:25:04.200 but Jake wanted him to blow things like buildings up. 358 00:25:05.680 --> 00:25:08.480 He knew this was concerning, but he still refused to 359 00:25:08.519 --> 00:25:10.960 share with his parents what he was experiencing due to 360 00:25:11.000 --> 00:25:14.359 his paranoi about causing them undue stress. He didn't tell 361 00:25:14.400 --> 00:25:17.519 anyone else because he knew people would think he was strange, 362 00:25:17.559 --> 00:25:20.160 and people would talk about him even more than he 363 00:25:20.279 --> 00:25:25.160 already believed they did. Gabe made up stories, telling his 364 00:25:25.240 --> 00:25:27.880 dad that he regularly ate lunch with friends at school 365 00:25:27.920 --> 00:25:31.200 and attended social events. His dad seemed to believe it. 366 00:25:31.559 --> 00:25:34.400 There didn't appear to be any reason not to believe 367 00:25:34.400 --> 00:25:38.960 his son. He told detailed, believable stories. His classmates, on 368 00:25:38.960 --> 00:25:41.960 the other hand, seemed much less inclined to believe Gabe's 369 00:25:42.000 --> 00:25:46.200 tall tales. He talked about being a paintball champion, winning tournaments, 370 00:25:46.240 --> 00:25:50.039 and traveling the country. In the summer of two thousand 371 00:25:50.079 --> 00:25:53.160 and three, Gabe spent even more time alone than normal. 372 00:25:53.799 --> 00:25:57.519 He reported that he started to experience hallucinations and they 373 00:25:57.559 --> 00:26:00.519 intensified at a startling rate, and he claimed to smell 374 00:26:00.559 --> 00:26:06.519 metal and aluminum. His feelings of anxiety, loneliness, and depression increased, 375 00:26:06.920 --> 00:26:10.039 and a feeling of pain like a vibration, would run 376 00:26:10.079 --> 00:26:13.920 from his hand to his foot. During the same timeframe, 377 00:26:14.079 --> 00:26:16.799 summer of two thousand and three, Gabe met a group 378 00:26:16.799 --> 00:26:19.680 of individuals in which he started hanging out with. He 379 00:26:19.720 --> 00:26:24.079 would later describe the group as a meth dealing drug gang. 380 00:26:25.240 --> 00:26:30.559 These friends were essentially imaginary. They existed only in Gabe's mind. 381 00:26:31.240 --> 00:26:34.640 While he recognized that he was seriously losing control over himself, 382 00:26:35.079 --> 00:26:37.839 Gabe just to seriously believe that this drug dealing gang 383 00:26:37.880 --> 00:26:43.319 of friends from the Woods was real. His story about 384 00:26:43.359 --> 00:26:46.559 being with this group were vivid. He described helping the 385 00:26:46.599 --> 00:26:49.720 drug production by creating maps on his computer, and he 386 00:26:49.759 --> 00:26:53.880 could describe the vehicles they drove, a van, their clothing, 387 00:26:54.279 --> 00:26:57.039 and he alleged the group kept him protected all while 388 00:26:57.119 --> 00:27:00.680 running a methamphetamine lab Gabe's He said that the gang 389 00:27:00.720 --> 00:27:03.880 buried one hundred thousand dollars in the Woods and that 390 00:27:04.039 --> 00:27:06.160 was his payment for all the work he did for them. 391 00:27:07.000 --> 00:27:09.559 He further went on to say that he never had 392 00:27:09.599 --> 00:27:11.759 an urge to try the drugs because he knew what 393 00:27:11.839 --> 00:27:14.559 drug use could do to a person. He'd seen it 394 00:27:14.559 --> 00:27:17.680 in his dad's work, but he never seemed concerned that 395 00:27:17.799 --> 00:27:22.519 his father, who was an narcotics police officer, might catch 396 00:27:22.960 --> 00:27:26.920 the gang. Gabe reported that when he decided he was 397 00:27:26.960 --> 00:27:29.640 going to shoot Seth for bullying him, he asked the 398 00:27:29.680 --> 00:27:31.720 gang to come up to the high school and shoot 399 00:27:31.759 --> 00:27:35.160 him in the head when it was over. After the shooting, 400 00:27:35.519 --> 00:27:38.160 Gabe said he saw the van arriving at school, but 401 00:27:38.240 --> 00:27:59.599