The gunman who fatally shot two people before killing himself in a Maryland shopping mall left a diary in his bedroom that expressed “unhappiness” with his life, cops said.
Darion Marcus Aguilar, 19, who opened fire at The Mall in Columbia on Saturday morning, was described as a quiet kid, but police discovered the rage-filled personal notes inside his home.
“We did retrieve documents,” said Howard County Police Chief William McMahon. “There is a journal where he expressed general unhappiness with his life.”
Aguilar’s mother, however, said her son was a “gentle, sweet kid” and was stunned at the shooting.
“I don’t know what happened. I really don’t,” the woman told ABC. “You can talk to any of his friends and see what a gentle person he is.”
Aguilar’s mother filed a missing person’s report Saturday afternoon after he failed to show up to his job at Dunkin Donuts, according to The Washington Post.
Students who knew him at Blake High school, where he graduated in 2013, said they were shocked by the news that he was responsible for the shooting.
“I’ve seen this guy in action before. Never upset, never sad, just quiet — just chill,” said Tydryn Scott, his lab partner in science class. “If any other emotion, he was happy, laughing.”
Aguilar walked out of the dressing room of a Zumiez clothing store brandishing a 12-gauge shotgun at around 11 a.m. Saturday, cops said.
He then fatally shot employees Brianna Benlolo, 21, and Tyler Johnson, 25, and injured five others before turning the weapon on himself.
Cops also said there was no known relationship between Aguilar and his victims.