LEXINGTON, Ky. - Dylan Lee Jarrell, 22, of Anderson County,
Ky., admitted in federal court that he transmitted a threatening communication
in interstate commerce, committed cyberstalking, made a false statement to
federal law enforcement officers, and possessed a firearm in furtherance of a
crime of violence. Jarrell pleaded guilty to the charges today, before U.S.
District Judge Gregory F. Van Tatenhove.
According to his plea agreement, Jarrell admitted that in
2018 he began to plan and prepare to conduct an act of violence against
occupants of Shelby County High School, which Jarrell had previously attended
as a student. Over time, Jarrell also developed an alternative plan to kill an
individual identified as D.B., and then kill himself, in a murder-suicide. Jarrell took several actions in furtherance
of the plans, including acquiring a firearm.
In May 2018, using a Reddit account and user screen name
later confirmed to be his, Jarrell posted public messages about previous mass
school shootings, which evidenced a serious expression of his intent. Based on
the Reddit posts, on May 30, 2018, a special agent from the FBI questioned
Jarrell at his residence in Anderson County. Jarrell was warned it was a crime
to lie to an FBI special agent. During the interview, Jarrell claimed not to
have any knowledge about the Reddit posts or the user screen name. At the time Jarrell made these statements, he
knew them to be false.
From July to September 2018, Jarrell made posts on Instagram
using an account he created. On September 24, 2018, Jarrell transmitted a
communication, via Instagram, to an account used by D.B., in which Jarrell
threatened to commit an act of violence upon D.B.
On August 22, 2018, Jarrell purchased an American Tactical
Omni Maxx P3 Hybrid 5.56 caliber semi-automatic rifle. Throughout August and September 2018, Jarrell
obtained other items, including a bump stock for the rifle, large capacity
magazines, ammunition, and body armor.
In his plea agreement, Jarrell acknowledged obtaining these items in
furtherance of his planned school shooting, or alternatively, the
murder-suicide.
Jarrell also created and used an account under his own name
on Facebook. On October 17, 2018, using Facebook, Jarrell sent two harassing
messages to an account associated with K.B.
The Defendant understood those communications would reasonably be
expected to cause substantial emotional distress to K.B.
On October 18, 2018, personnel from the FBI and Kentucky
State Police responded to Jarrell’s residence in Anderson County, and
questioned him about his Reddit and Facebook activities. This time, Jarrell admitted he composed and
sent the Reddit and Facebook messages.
Jarrell provided the law enforcement officers his cell phone, which
revealed Jarrell’s plans to attack Shelby County High School and D.B. Jarrell admitted to investigators that he
formulated these plans and that he acquired the firearm in furtherance of the
plans.
Jarrell was indicted in May of 2019.
“Dylan Jarrell manifested a clear intent to commit horrific
acts of violence on innocent persons in our District and elsewhere,” said
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of
Kentucky. “Fortunately, because of the thorough work of dedicated law enforcement
officers, Jarrell’s plans were thwarted and lives were almost certainly saved.
I commend the law enforcement personnel involved in this investigation for
their professionalism and commitment to keeping the public safe from harm. We
are proud to stand with them in this continued fight.”
“The FBI takes credible threats of violence seriously, and
preventing mass causality events is a top priority. As the Jarrell
investigation indicates, the FBI will work closely with the Kentucky State
Police and our law enforcement partners to bring to justice those who issue
these threats,” said James Robert Brown Jr., Special Agent in Charge, FBI
Louisville Field Office. “I want to encourage the public to remain vigilant and
to report this behavior to law enforcement immediately. In this instance, with
the public’s help, the FBI and KSP saved lives.”
“The Kentucky State Police commends our trooper and all the
other officers and law-enforcement agencies involved in apprehending this
dangerous criminal before he was ever able to harm a single individual,” said
Commissioner Richard Sanders, Kentucky State Police. “If trooper Satterly had
not looked beyond the initial complaint of online misconduct by Jarrell, it is
not hard to imagine what atrocities may have been committed by this
individual.”
U.S. Attorney Duncan, James Robert Brown, Jr., Special Agent
in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Commissioner Sanders, Kentucky
State Police jointly announced the guilty plea.
The investigation was conducted by FBI and KSP. The United
States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew T. Boone.
Jarrell is scheduled to be sentenced on April 1, 2020 at 11
a.m. He faces up to 5 years in prison on the threatening communication,
cyberstalking, and false statement charges, and at least 5 years on the
firearms charge, consecutive to the other offenses. He also faces a maximum fine of $250,000.
However, any sentence will be imposed by the Court after its consideration of
the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statutes.
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