SEATTLE – A man suspected of killing one person and injuring three others at Seattle Pacific University earlier this month plans to pursue the insanity plea as his defense for the attack.
Aaron Ybarra has been charged with one count of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder and one count of assault.
During Ybarra’s June 23 arraignment, he was charged with another count of attempted murder, as prosecutors said the suspect admitted to pointing a gun at another student, and that confirmed what a witness told police, KIROTV.com reports.
Ybarra has a history of mental illness. In the past, he had been involuntarily committed twice because he was suicidal.
Authorities discovered a journal in the suspect’s truck after the SPU shootings the showed Ybarra’s admiration for others who carried out school shootings.
The journal entry also stated that he stopped taking his mental health medications six months before the incident because he wanted to “feel the hate.”
Prosecutors said they were confident that Ybarra would be held criminally responsible for the shooting.