Self-inflicted wound claims teen shooter

The 15-year-old Larose-Cut Off Middle School student who turned a .25- caliber handgun on himself inside of the school’s restroom last week died at Terrebonne General Medical Center in Houma Saturday.

According to the sheriff’s office, Justin Paul Doucet, an eighth grader at the school, suffered a single self-inflicted gunshot wound to the upper head region.

“We certainly extend our sympathy to his family and pray for his well-being and their well-being during this extremely difficult period,” Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre said.

On Friday, Webre said his main focus was to find out why the shooting occurred and what signs may have been missed that Doucet intended to harm students or himself. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on Doucet’s home last Monday following the incident. Among the items found, detectives gathered “Deadly Diaries” Doucet penned prior to the incident.

“Surely if someone had read those diaries, surely they would have reported something,” Webre said.

In addition to a suicide note retrieved from the teen’s backpack, detectives were able to seize a computer processor unit, several books and writings – newspaper and magazine articles – from his primary residence. Webre said items were collected from Doucet’s room.

“There are a number of items that we have collected, but have not yet thoroughly analyzed,” Webre said during a press conference the day after the incident. “So I will not be able to give you a lot of specifics other than the general information that we have thus far.

The investigators will quite naturally reach out to the experts in the field of school shooting and psychology. Hopefully they will have people who can come in and help us interpret some of this information.”

Detectives possess the weapon that was used in the shooting. Police are speculating that Doucet removed the gun from his biological father’s house over the weekend after doing some yard chores.

“That would have been an opportunity to have access to the weapon,” Webre said. “But we are not sure if he took it before then.”

The .25-caliber nickel-plated semiautomatic pistol was the only firearm that was recovered on the campus, Webre said while holding the firearm up to public view. It was recovered in the restroom stall in Doucet’s hand when a (Louisiana State Police) trooper and deputy initially located him.

There were a total of five shells recovered. Three were unfired – one was in the chamber and two were in the magazine – and one was fired in the classroom. Another was fired in the bathroom, Webre explained.

The Larose-Cut Off Middle School incident happened toward the end of second period.

Once Doucet was transported to the hospital, detectives began their search of the school. They located Doucet’s school bag in the restroom.

Inside, they recovered a journal with two sheets of loose-leaf paper. The police say the papers represents a suicide note and plan, and a self-portrait of what Doucet would be wearing at the time of the shooting.

The teen was found wearing his Larose-Cut Off Middle School uniform shirt and camouflage pants, Webre said.

Detectives also recovered a spiral bound notebook with “Deadly Diaries No. 2” on the front cover. The sheriff said there are further writings in the notebook detailing his plans.

“His intention was specific as to what he was going to do. He was specific up to the date, time and location,” Webre said. “He specified that he had only five bullets, and that he was going to save one bullet for himself. His intentions were to shoot four people: a sixth grader, a seventh grader and possibly two eight graders. Thankfully that did not occur.”

Webre said the writings in Deadly Diaries No. 2 also make mention of his desire to kill a police officer, and referred to the police recovering the notebook. Webre said there is one phrase that states, “I hope the police get this.”

Detectives are waiting on computer forensic experts from the state Attorney General’s Office to assist in recovering any evidence that may exist on Doucet’s computer. Webre said he will also check the computer hard drive for any deleted information.

Webre speculates from the items retrieved from the teen’s home that he had a notion of the Antichrist, the end of the world, a fascination or preoccupation with Columbine, and the fact that the Columbine shootings coincide with Adolph Hitler’s birthday.

“The interior of the home is a clean, well-ordered home,” Webre said. “There is nothing that would suggest the type of writing, beliefs or ideas that are displayed in some of these books and in some of his writing. There was nothing consequently on the walls that would suggest that he was combating with whatever demons he was combating.”

The Marilyn Manson references, Webre said, were not present the interior of his room.

“As we get a chance to further go into and analyze the writings and whatever is recovered from the computer as well as speaking extensively with the family, friends, and fellow students, we may get a more accurate picture,” Webre said.

The Lafourche Parish Sheriff Office’s has seized the school’s camera recording on the day of the incident. Webre said detectives are in the process of reviewing it.

Larose Cut-Off Middle School reopened the day after the shooting with enhanced security, reported Larose-Cut Off Middle School Principal Matt Hodson.

Mike Lefort, counseling coordinator for the Lafourche Parish School Board, said the school system has six or seven counselors on hand, some of who are school psychologists. One school counselor is assigned to Larose-Cut Off Middle School campus.

The counselors will remain at the school through the year’s end tomorrow, he said.

Lefort said the counselors tried to assure students that all of their emotions and feelings are very legitimate.

“We are seeing shock, disbelief, and I even sense some anger,” he said. “There is still a little bit fear when dealing with this. What I have noticed is with the transition from disbelief is anger about the situation and some confusion. It’s a whole gamut of emotions.”

Lafourche Parish sheriff’s detectives display some of the materials confiscated from Justin Doucet’s bedroom last week. Doucet died Saturday from a self-inflicted gunshot wound he suffered after firing a shot in a Larose-Cut Off Middle School classroom earlier in the week.