According to the Portland Press Herald, 17-year-old Angela McDevitt helped prevent a possible mass shooting from happening at Arlington High School in Fair Haven, Vermont. McDevitt received several messages from her friend Jack Sawyer, which said he planned on shooting up the high school and had prepared for a couple of years.
According to WCAX, Angela McDevitt said she was conflicted on what to do, because Jack was not acting the way she knew he would act. McDevitt brought the Facebook messages to the school and contacted law enforcement. Because of that, Angela McDevitt is being hailed as a hero for helping prevent a mass shooting at the school which holds 400 students.
Jack Sawyer had a troubled past
Jack Sawyer appeared in court and pleaded not guilty to multiple charges including attempted murder. The two friends met at the residential treatment center and school Ironwood in Maine. McDevitt said they were both battle depression and behavior issues. The center is set in a farm setting aimed at healing students. At the school and facility, Sawyer's life revolved around chores, the outdoors and animals.
Sawyer is now thrust into the spotlight as the nation debates over gun control and school shootings. Angela McDevitt says Jack Sawyer was a nice person when she knew him and was said when she saw the messages, but knew she had to report those messages because lives were at hand.
McDevitt said she knew it was serious because it's not something you would joke about right after what happened in Florida.
It's up to students to act if they see something
McDevitt first went to her guidance counselor, who then gave the messages to police. Vermont's Governor Phil Scott praised Angela for her actions to avert what could have been a horrific disaster.
Sawyer is now currently behind bars and McDevitt is calling for more stricter gun control.
McDevitt is also urging students to say something if you see something, admitting that it is a hard thing to actually do when you know the person involved. Angela McDevitt has said she doesn't want to be praised because she knows Sawyer.
She acknowledges she saved lives but also lost someone she thought she knew. McDevitt told WCAX that in order for students to become more comfortable with reporting suspicious behavior is to create a relationship between counselors and students early on.
USA Today confirmed that Sawyer attempted to buy a shotgun at a sporting goods store in Maine but was unable to do so because he did not have a Maine driver's license. However, he was able to buy the same gun in Vermont and also intended to purchase several more weapons including an AR-15.
