Court records detail teen's attempt to carry out shootings at Jackson County school, library

JACKSON COUNTY, Ind. - Court records released Monday have shed new light on a teen's attempt to shoot up a school and library in Jackson County.




According to an affidavit for probable cause, 18-year-old Emiliano Cuevas-Bravo fired one round from a Mossberg shotgun at the Jackson County Public Library - which is located at 202 W. 2nd St. in Seymour - on April 30.

What library security camera video showed

Per court records, library security camera video showed Cuevas-Bravo walking into the building through its main entrance. Once inside, Cuevas-Bravo fired his shotgun in the direction of the library's checkout desk, shattering a window in the process.




Pellets and shattered glass produced by the round Cuevas-Bravo fired struck a library employee in the arm.




After firing at the checkout desk, Cuevas-Bravo proceeded toward the library's "Kidz Korner," a room that houses children's books. According to court records, video showed Cuevas-Bravo racking his shotgun several times and aiming it toward the "Kidz Korner" with his finger on the trigger.




Police reported that Cuevas-Bravo did not fire any shots at the "Kidz Korner" during the incident. After pointing the gun at the "Kidz" Korner," Cuevas-Bravo headed up to the second floor of the library, where he once again raised his gun and pointed it at library staff and patrons without firing it.




Investigators indicated that Cuevas-Bravo ultimately ended up throwing the gun on the floor. He then reached into his backpack and began pouring a substance on the library floor.




As he was pouring the liquid on the floor, Cuevas-Bravo was tackled by a library patron, who ultimately held him down until police arrived at the scene.




Police detained Cuevas-Bravo soon after they arrived at the scene. Law enforcement also conducted a search of the building to confirm Cuevas-Bravo was working alone.

What Cuevas-Bravo told police after the shooting

After he was detained, Cuevas-Bravo was transported to the Seymour Police Department for an interview. Police read Cuevas-Bravo his Miranda Rights and then asked if he was willing to speak with them. Cuevas-Bravo answered the question by saying, "Sure, why not."




According to court documents, Cuevas-Bravo started his interview with police by saying he had felt lonely and depressed over the last year. He said he considered himself a failure and even attempted to commit suicide.




Cuevas-Bravo told police that he had developed an interest in the shooting that took place at Columbine High School in Colorado in 1999. 16 people died and 23 others were injured during the shooting.




Per court records, Cuevas-Bravo told investigators he had begun to plan a school shooting of his own. He was planning to carry out the shooting at Seymour High School, where he was actively enrolled as a student before he was arrested.




Police reported that Cuevas-Bravo picked April 30 to carry out the shooting because it was "Hitler's death day." He said he wore all black clothing the day the shooting unfolded as a reference to the Columbine shooters.




According to court documents, Cuevas-Bravo told police he only had one specific person he was planning to target during the shooting - a school resource officer.




Police indicated that Cuevas-Bravo said he was "going to cap (the resource officer) and then go wild." Cuevas-Bravo told police he was planning to shoot and kill random students after he shot the school resource officer.




Investigators indicated that Cuevas-Bravo had driven to Seymour High School on April 30 with the intent to carry out the shooting. He said he had the shotgun in the front passenger seat of his vehicle and a pipe bomb in his backpack.




Cuevas-Bravo told police he was going to shoot himself with the shotgun after he carried out the shooting.




Cuevas-Bravo reportedly changed his mind moments before he was planning to execute the shooting. Cuevas-Bravo told police he "saw a teacher he knew in the area" and changed his target.




After he saw the teacher, Cuevas-Bravo decided to head to the library to shoot patrons there and then commit suicide.




During his interview with police, Cuevas-Bravo indicated that a gun jam derailed his plan to carry out a shooting a the library. Cuevas-Bravo said, after he fired his first round, he noticed a spent shell casing had not properly ejected from the gun.




Cuevas-Bravo tried to clear the spent shell casing from the gun but was not successful. He opted to throw the gun on the ground after realizing he could not fix the jam.




Cuevas-Bravo told police the liquid he pulled from his backpack and poured on the library floor was motor oil. He said he was planning to light the motor oil on fire, but was tackled by a patron before he was able to do so.




Cuevas-Bravo had motor oil in his backpack because it was one of the components he planned to use to make his pipe bomb. Police reported that Cuevas-Bravo said he'd constructed an explosive device using a pipe with two end caps and two smoke bombs.




According to court records, Cuevas-Bravo told police he had researched the pipe bomb-making process on the internet. He also told investigators that he probably did not make the bomb "the right way."




Cuevas-Bravo admitted that oil kept leaking from the improvised explosive device, so he put tape around its caps to stop it. He also said he had attached a fuse to the device.




An Indiana State Police explosives investigator was called to the scene to ensure the explosive device was safely removed. The investigator later confirmed that the device would not have worked in the way Cuevas-Bravo intended it to.




The investigator reported that Cuevas-Bravo's device could've functioned as a Molotov cocktail, but likely not a pipe bomb.




In addition to the motor oil, pipe bomb and shotgun, Cuevas-Bravo reported that he had propane in his vehicle "just in case he needed it" and a lithium battery. Cuevas-Bravo told police he intended to load the battery into his gun and shoot it to cause an explosion. Cuevas-Bravo never actually used the improvised explosive device, battery or propane during the incident.




Police indicated that Cuevas-Bravo had 95 shotgun rounds with him the day of the shooting, counting the spent round he actually fired during the incident. Investigators ultimately determined that Cuevas-Bravo bought the shotgun from Acme Sports on March 14, more than a month before he tried to carry out the shooting.

What Cuevas-Bravo has been charged with

Indiana's public court reporting system indicates Cuevas-Bravo now faces 15 charges, all of which are felonies.




Cuevas-Bravo has been charged with seven counts of attempted murder, five counts of pointing a firearm at a person, one count of possession of a destructive device with knowledge or intent to use it, one count of arson damage to the property of another and one count of criminal recklessness where the defendant shoots a gun in a building.




Cuevas-Bravo appeared in court on Monday. No additional updates on Cuevas-Bravo's case have been posted to Indiana's public court reporting system.





via: https://fox59.com/news/court-records-detail-teens-attempt-to-carry-out-shootings-at-jackson-county-school-library/