A student convicted of planning a mass massacre at an Indiana high school earlier this year has been sentenced.
Trinity Shockley, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder, was sentenced to 20 years in jail with eight years suspended on November 24, according to online court documents. Her sentence will be followed by five years on probation.
The 19-year-old became upset in court and apologized to an intended target and the neighborhood, telling them, “I am so sorry I put you in that position of fear,” according to WFYI-FM. Shockley continued, ‘It’s gotten a lot better since I’ve been surrounded by people that care about me,’ alluding to her mental health.
Shockley was arrested after the teen’s friend alerted the FBI’s Sandy Hook tip line, claiming Shockley, a 12th grade student, was planning a mass shooting at Mooresville High School on February 14, according to a probable cause affidavit previously obtained by NBC News, ABC News, and CBS affiliate WLKY.
According to the affidavit, the informant said Shockley had “access to an AR15 and has just ordered a bulletproof vest,” and that the adolescent “admired” Nikolas Cruz, the perpetrator of the tragic 2018 mass shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. Shockley previously claimed to be the victim of bullying.
Her attorney, Joseph Gaunt, stated that his client never intended to carry out the shooting. “She knew she couldn’t do it, but she kept talking about it,” he explained to WFYI-FM. “That’s what makes this case hard.”
Morgan County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Cassie Mellady said the penalty was a “fair outcome,” according to WTHR. “In this case, there was a significant amount of planning that was involved, so I tried to match the plea agreement to that.”
The FBI’s Indianapolis office posted a statement on social media following Shockley’s sentencing, calling the case a “powerful reminder that when the public speaks up, lives can be saved.”
