Emily Brown
A mother might have saved countless lives after making the difficult decision to turn in her son to the police when she feared he might launch an attack on a school.
Almost two months after 21 people lost their lives in the Uvalde school shooting in Texas, mum Nicole Schubert spoke out about finding her then 17-year-old son's journal while cleaning her home in 2019.
The notebook revealed 'descriptive' plans of a killing spree which he apparently detailed beginning at home, expressing a desire to kill his own mum before unleashing an attack at his Washington State high school.
Hear Schubert discuss her story below:
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Schubert told Good Morning America it was 'devastating' to learn what her son was thinking about her, saying: "That's my child, I gave birth to him. It hurts a lot, it still hurts."
After being confronted about the notebook, the teen is said to have claimed his notes were 'just a story'. Schubert called the police just hours after making the discovery, noting that although her 'first instinct' was to protect her child, she knew her son would have been 'safer in jail' if he followed through on the apparent plans in the journal.
"If there's a possibility to save even one person, one child, I think it's worth it," she said.
Schubert described having a lot of friends with children at her son's high school, and knew the situation wasn't just about her and her son, but 'hundreds of people'. The discovery of the notebook came after she'd previously found what she believed to be a homemade pipe bomb in the teenager's room.
After being arrested, the student pleaded guilty to the felony charge of threatening to bomb or injury property, as well as misdemeanours for harassment.
He completed a rehabilitation programme and community service for his crimes, and underwent a mental evaluation.
Following recent mass shootings in the United States, Schubert decided to share her story to appeal to parents who might find themselves in similar situations.
"Stay in their business," she said, "even if they don't like it. They're not gonna like it, but as parents it's our job to know what our kids are doing. Just be aware, and watch for signs. Kids will normally tell you by their actions when something is wrong."
Schubert made clear she doesn't regret turning in her son because she believes she 'saved lives' with her actions, and expressed belief parents should be held accountable to a certain point in such situations.
She explained: "Obviously we can't control our children's actions all the time, who can? But there are signs that you know something's not right... I was in his room [asking] 'what are you doing, where are you going?' all the time, and he hated it, but he's alive, and everyone's alive."
The teenager is said to not have had any issues with the law after being turned in by his mum, and has since got a job and made plans to go to university.
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