PHOENIX — Westgate shooting suspect Armando JR Hernandez, 20, stood next to his lawyer Thursday morning less than 24 hours after the state attorney says he carried out his quote “expressed desire to commit mass casualty.”
Law enforcement says he fired rapid rounds from a black assault rifle and that Hernandez expressed anger towards society. They say he went to social media to broadcast the shooting spree.
Prosecutors said Hernandez told them he was bullied and that women reject him. He describes himself as celibate with a dark side.
State prosecutors said he planned the shooting spree for years.
“He's very open about the fact that he has a dark side and his dark side was coming out. The community would be at a risk for someone who said he was contemplating this specifically at Westgate for at least three or four years."
“This is not a gun accidentally going off. This was Mr. Hernandez had the purpose of taking out his expressed anger at society,” said state prosecutors.
A former high school classmate and gaming friend of Hernandez told 12 News the night of the shooting that he was a troubled kid with “anti-government” ideas who often kept to himself.
“He never used to talk about shooting people in high school when he got out he went a little bit crazy I don’t wanna be mean but I feel like it was a loner in school I think he wanted to put his name out there,” says the classmate.
As of now, he is scheduled to appear next in court on May 28.
