Law 09:31 13/12/2012

Mall shooter quit Job, was going to Hawaii

In the days before he stole a semiautomatic weapon and stormed into an Oregon shopping mall, killing two people in a shooting spree, Jacob Roberts quit his job, sold his belongings and began to seem "numb" to those closest to him. 

Roberts' ex-girlfriend, Hannah Patricia Sansburn, 20, told ABC News today that the man who donned a hockey mask and opened fire on Christmas shoppers was typically happy and liked to joke around, but abruptly changed in the week before the shooting.

Roberts unleashed a murderous volley of gunfire on the second floor of the Clackamas Town Center on Tuesday while wearing the mask and black clothing, and carrying an AR-15 semiautomatic weapon and "several" magazines full of ammunition. He ended his barrage by walking down to the first floor of the mall and committing suicide.

"I don't understand," Sansburn said. "I was just with him. I just talked to him. I didn't believe it was him at all. Not one part of me believed it."

She said that in recent weeks, Roberts quit his job at a gyro shop in downtown Portland and sold all of his belongings, telling her that he was moving to Hawaii. He had even purchased a ticket.

She now wonders if he was really planning to move.

"He was supposed to catch a flight Saturday and I texted him, and asked how his flight went, and he told me, 'oh, I got drunk and didn't make the flight,'" she said. "And then this happens... It makes me think, was he even planning on going to Hawaii? He quit his job, sold all of his things."

Roberts described himself on his Facebook page as an "adrenaline junkie," and said he is the kind of person who thinks, "I'm going to do what I want."

Roberts, who attended Clackamas Community college, posted a picture of himself on his Facebook page firing a gun at a target. His Facebook photo showed graffiti in which the words "Follow Your Dreams" were painted over with the word "Cancelled."

Sansburn said the pair had dated for nearly a year but had broke up over the summer. Throughout their relationship, she had never seen him act violently or get angry.

"Jake was never the violent type. He didn't go out of his way to try to hurt people or upset people. His main goal was to make you laugh, smile, make you feel comfortable. I never would have guessed him to do anything like this ever," she said.

"You can't reconcile the differences. I hate him for what he did, but I can't hate the person I knew because it was nothing like the person who would go into a mall and go on a rampage. I would never associate the two at all."

The last time she saw him, which was last week, he "seemed numb," and she didn't understand why, she said.

"I just talked to him, stayed the night with him, and he just seemed numb if anything. He's usually very bubbly and happy, and I asked him why, what had changed, and said 'nothing.' He just had so much he had to do before he went to Hawaii that he was trying to distance himself from Portland," Sansburn said.

Sansburn said the last message she sent Roberts was a text, asking him to stay, and saying she didn't want him to leave. He replied "I'm sorry," with a sad face emoticon.

Police are still seeking information about what Roberts was doing in the days leading up to the shooting. They said today they believe Roberts stole the gun he used in the rampage from someone he knew. They have searched his home and his car for other clues into his motive.


 



Source Panorama.am
Share |
Տեքստում սխալ կամ վրիպակ նկատելու դեպքում, ուղարկեք խմբագրին հաղորդագրություն` նշելով տվյալ սխալը, այնուհետև սեղմելով Ctrl-Enter:

Newsfeed

17:00
Armenia’s top diplomat may visit Russia soon, Lavrov says
Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan may visit Russia before long, TASS quoted Russia's top diplomat Sergey Lavrov as saying on...
16:30
ANCA submits testimony in support of Marco Rubio's confirmation as US secretary of state
The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) has submitted testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee supporting Senator Marco...
16:13
Narek Hakhnazaryan to offer master classes at Yerevan music schools
The Yerevan Municipality has announced the launch of the 2025 edition of the "Your Art at School" program. From February 1 to...
15:30
Light snow, fog expected in Armenia
Dry weather is expected in Armenia on Tuesday. Light snow is forecast for some regions over the coming days, with foggy conditions and...
15:00
Lavrov: Armenia's aspiration to join EU incompatible with EAEU membership
Armenia's membership in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) is incompatible with its desire to join the European Union (EU), as these...
14:47
Ameriabank raises $200 million from IFC, marking largest transaction by IFC ever with a financial institution in Armenia
Ameriabank has signed a $200 million long-term loan agreement with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to support climate finance...
14:35
Protest for release of Armenian prisoners to be held outside UN office in Yerevan
A protest demanding the immediate release of Armenian prisoners held in Baku will take place outside the UN office in Yerevan on Friday, to...
14:00
Kremlin reacts to Armenia-US strategic partnership plans
The development of strategic partnership between Armenia and the United States is the sovereign right of Yerevan; Russia, for its part, intends...
13:35
Expert explains what US strategic partnership deal means for Armenia
Political analyst Suren Sargsyan has shared his insights on the strategic partnership agreement to be signed between Armenia and the...
13:01
Australian Open: Elina Avanesyan loses to Putintseva
Kazakh Yulia Putintseva, the No 24 seed, moved into the second round of the Australian Open by defeating Armenian Elina Avanesyan 4-6, 7-5, 6-2...
12:34
Minister reports moderate situation of acute respiratory infections in Armenia
The situation regarding acute respiratory infections, including COVID-19 and influenza, is currently stable in Armenia. At a press...
12:04
Former ruling party MP sees early elections in Armenia
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will call fresh parliamentary elections in the coming months, a lawmaker ousted from his Civil Contract party...
11:46
Armenia, US to sign strategic partnership document
Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will sign a document on strategic partnership between the...
11:30
Australian Open: Khachanov through to second round
Russian-Armenian Karen Khachanov, the No 19 seed, advanced to the second round of the Australian Open by defeating Frenchman Adrian Mannarino...
11:15
Armenian church marks Nativity of St. John the Baptist
The Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist (Forerunner) on Tuesday 14 January. The elderly couple...
17:16
Government refuses to disclose number of security officers accompanying Anna Hakobyan to Italy
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s wife, Anna Hakobyan, was accompanied by the State Protection Service and protocol officers...
16:35
Pashinyan reaffirms his government's commitment to peace agenda
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Monday held a phone conversation with António Costa, President of the European Council....
15:50
Opposition politician: Pashinyan leading Armenia to 'capitulation'
Opposition politician Eduard Sharmazanov has denounced Prime Minister Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s claims about “historical...
14:45
Gold market employees protest tax hike in Yerevan
Jewelers and traders from the gold market in Armenia on Monday gathered outside the government building in central Yerevan to protest...
14:27
Armenia has no plans to quit EAEU, minister says
Minister of Economy Gevorg Papoyan claims that Armenia has no intention to leave the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). “We want to...
13:36
Human rights lawyer Arsen Babayan releases arrest footage
Human rights lawyer Arsen Babayan, a member of the opposition Homeland Party led by former NSS director Artur Vanetsyan, on Saturday released...
13:06
Elina Avanesyan improves position in WTA rankings
Armenia's Elina Avanesyan has improved her position in the WTA rankings. She moved up three sports to 41st in the updated...
12:36
Opposition MP criticizes Pashinyan's mutual arms control proposal to Azerbaijan
Opposition lawmaker Tigran Abrahamyan has criticized Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's proposal to establish a mutual arms control mechanism...
11:45
Ancelotti slams Real Madrid after crushing defeat to Barcelona
Carlo Ancelotti said he was "sad and disappointed" after Real Madrid's 5-2 Supercopa final defeat to Barcelona in Jeddah, Saudi...
11:21
Drivers warned of foggy conditions in parts of Armenia
The Rescue Service has warned drivers of a road closure and foggy weather conditions in Armenia as of Monday morning. In...
11:05
Armenian church celebrates naming of Jesus
The Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ each year on January 13, Qahana.am reports. As...
17:24
Airborne dust in Yerevan exceeds hygiene standards, expert warns
The dust levels in Yerevan’s air exceed hygiene standards, according to Aram Gabrielyan, an expert at the Khazer NGO and a specialist in...
16:33
Armenian Assembly of America stands united with Armenian community amid Los Angeles fires
The Armenian Assembly of America issued the following statement in the wake of the devastating Los Angeles wildfires: The Armenian...
16:06
Tigran Mansurian's 'Requiem' to be performed at Prague festival
The 8th Eternal Hope Music Festival will be held in Prague, the Czech Republic, from February 2 to March 20. The final part of the...
15:30
Trump, Zuckerberg meet at Mar-a-Lago
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg met with Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Friday, a source familiar with their encounter confirmed to Semafor....

Follow us and get updates!

Most popular articles

{"core.blocks.header.spell_message1":"Selected mistake: ","core.blocks.header.spell_message2":"Send a message about the mistake?"}