Court documents released on accused Freeman shooter

Freeman shooting suspect Caleb Sharpe

The teenager accused of shooting and killing a Freeman High School student, and injuring three others, told detectives he did it to "teach everyone a lesson about what happens when you bully others," according to court documents released Thursday morning. 

Suspect Caleb Sharpe told detectives he rode the bus to Freeman High School on Wednesday, entered the school from the back side and went up to the second floor. Sharpe then dropped his duffel bag and pulled out an assault rifle. Court documents say he tried to load rounds into it, but the weapon jammed. 

As Caleb struggled with the action on the rifle,  Sharpe said another student, Sam Strahan, commented to him, "I always knew you were going to shoot up the school," and "You know that is going to get you in trouble." 

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Documents say Sharpe then dropped the rifle and pulled a handgun out from under his coat and shot Strahan twice. 

Caleb told detectives he had been picked on by Strahan before, but did not come to the school specifically to shoot him. Sharpe denied targeting anyone specifically, according to court documents. Documents show Sharpe had previously been in the care of a school counselor for "suicidal ideations."

After shooting Strahan, Sharpe moved down the hall firing at students near the lockers. According to his interview, Sharpe continued firing into the crowd of students, hitting three. 

Sharpe says he continued firing until the pistol jammed. Video surveillance reviewed by detectives shows after the gun jammed, Sharpe threw the handgun down and was confronted by a custodian and complied with his commands to get to the ground. 

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Sharpe was taken into custody. 

Sam Strahan was pronounced dead at the scene. The three other victims were taken to Sacred Heart and at last check, they are in satisfactory condition. 

Other witnesses interviewed include the bus driver who picked Sharpe up. She says she saw him board with a large athletic style duffel bag, which she considered suspicious because she knew Sharpe didn't participate in school athletics. 

One of Sharpe's friends told detectives Sharpe had bragged about owning multiple guns. The friend also said Sharpe makes improvised explosive devices out of various chemicals and white gas. 

Sharpe's father told detectives Caleb knew the combination to the large gun safe which was "most likely where the firearms came from." 

Sharpe's mother told detectives there was a suicide note written by Caleb inside their house that was written more than a week before the shooting. 

Sharpe will be having a court hearing on Thursday to try and determine if he will be tried as an adult. 

(story and photo: KHQ.com)


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