MOORESVILLE— An 18-year-old Indiana woman has been arrested and charged with multiple felonies after authorities say she planned to carry out a mass shooting at Mooresville High School on Valentine’s Day.
Trinity Shockley faces charges of conspiracy to commit murder, intimidation with a threat to commit terrorism, and conspiracy to commit intimidation, according to the Mooresville Metropolitan Police Department. The FBI’s Sandy Hook Tip Line alerted local authorities on Tuesday about Shockley’s alleged plot, which included access to an AR-15 rifle and the purchase of a bulletproof vest, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Investigators said Shockley expressed admiration for Nikolas Cruz, the gunman who carried out the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida—an attack that also occurred on Valentine’s Day. Authorities said she had been planning the shooting for more than a year, referring to it as “Parkland Part Two” in messages traced to Snapchat and Discord accounts linked to her location in Mooresville, a town about 30 minutes south of Indianapolis.
In February, Shockley allegedly sent additional messages detailing her plans and images of the AR-15. According to the affidavit, she met with a school counselor on the day of her arrest and admitted to being “sexually attracted” to Cruz, saying she had written to him multiple times and possessed a heart-shaped locket with his picture inside.
During a search of Shockley’s home, police recovered an AR-15 rifle, a soft armor vest, and several notebooks. Officers also discovered a collage featuring images of Cruz, Dylann Roof—the perpetrator of the 2015 Charleston church shooting—and Randy Stair, who carried out a 2017 supermarket shooting in Pennsylvania. Authorities said a poster depicting a fictional school shooting was also found in her bedroom.
In one of the notebooks, Shockley reportedly described herself as “a transgender male (who has) a lot of homicidal thoughts,” according to the affidavit. When questioned by police, she initially claimed she had been joking about the attack and did not have access to a firearm, later stating that her comments were made in anger and that she was seeking help.
Court documents indicate that Shockley’s alleged motivation was to prove her devotion to Cruz. “Trinity has an emotional attachment to Cruz,” the affidavit states. “Her message behind the plan is that she does not like people who think they are better than everyone else and that people should value their everyday life.”
Shockley also told investigators she had been bullied and struggled with harmful thoughts, partly stemming from a near-fatal accident involving a drunk driver two years ago. Documents state that she had sought mental health treatment but was denied access by her father.
Authorities have not disclosed whether Shockley has an attorney.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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