New Mexico High School Shooter Posed As Student To Carry Out Attack

The gunman who killed two teens at a New Mexico high school Thursday disguised himself as a student to carry out the attack and was previously investigated by the FBI, authorities said.

William Atchison, 21, a former student of Aztec High School, wore a disguise so he could evade school officials and enter undetected, San Juan County Sheriff Ken Christesen said Friday.

Atchison was also the subject of a 2016 FBI investigation after he made “generic comments” in an online gaming forum, said the special agent in charge in Albuquerque, Terry Wade. It’s unclear what those exact comments were.

The FBI checked databases and interviewed Atchison and his family in March 2016, but ultimately closed the investigation when it determined no crime had been committed. Wade said Atchison didn’t have a gun at the time, he told agents he had no plans for an attack and he didn’t have any ties to any organizations.

On Thursday morning, Atchison entered the 900-student school with multiple magazines on him and went to a bathroom. Student athlete Francisco Fernandez, 18, walked in and was immediately shot by Atchison. The gunman then walked into the hallway and encountered Casey Marquez, 17, also a student athlete, and killed her, according to officials.

He then walked up and down the hallway, firing randomly and into classrooms, before shooting himself.

Investigators searched his home and his computer following the shooting. They found a paper with scratch notes in the trash can that had “work, packup, prep, walk, die” written on it, according to KOB 4. They also found a thumb drive on his person that included electronic notes that offer more evidence the attack was planned, officials said.

Atchison lived at home with his parents and was working at a gas station at the time of the shooting. He wrote a message before the attack that included a timeline of what he planned. In his message, he wrote that work, school and life were bad and he wanted out.

With Post wires