SEATTLE — Surveillance video from a 2014 shooting at Seattle Pacific University was released on Tuesday, showing a student pepper-spraying an alleged shooter, seizing his gun and detaining him.
The King County Prosecutor’s Office released 18 DVDs of video from days before and during the June 5, 2014, incident that left one student dead and two others wounded, KING-TV reported.
Three minutes of the footage shows the take-down of Aaron Ybarra, 27, who has pleaded not guilty to murder and other charges in the case.
That portion of video shows Ybarra entering the lobby of a building on the small private Christian school’s campus. Ybarra is holding a shotgun. He points it at a student who is sitting at a table reading and doesn’t seem to notice Ybarra.
Ybarra waves the gun around, and another student who doesn’t seem to notice him can be seen sitting at a different table. A female then can be seen descending a set of stairs. When she reaches the ground floor, the video shows Ybarra pointing the gun at her and firing. She seems to flinch and stands for a few seconds before running out of the room. The other two students at separate tables then flee.
At the moment the woman who is shot turns to leave the room, student Jon Meis can be seen running into the lobby, approaching Ybarra from behind.
As he enters the room and charges Ybarra, Meis sprays Ybarra with what police have said was pepper spray. Ybarra falls to the floor as Meis grapples with him. Meis then disarms Ybarra and runs out of the room with the weapon.
Ybarra is seen rolling on the floor as Meis reenters the room and tackles Ybarra again as Ybarra struggles to pull out a knife. A male student comes down the stairs and walks over to Meis and Ybarra, kicking away the knife and helping Meis hold Ybarra down.
Police say Ybarra killed one male student outside before entering the building. Police said pellets from that shot also injured another student.
Ybarra later described to police how he had planned the shooting. Police say Ybarra told them he had a general hatred for the world and battled alcoholism. Ybarra had stopped taking his medications and seeing a psychotherapist before the shooting.
The Washington state Court of Appeals in December upheld a ruling ordering the footage released under Washington’s Public Records Act.
The school said in a statement Tuesday they were disappointed with the release of the surveillance videos.
“We, along with others, have pursued legal action to stop the videos’ release in order to protect individual privacy and prevent the emotional distress these images will have on our community, the school said. “Seattle Pacific University remains strong and resilient as a result of God’s faithfulness to us. Our foremost concern continues to be the welfare and safety of not only our students, faculty, and staff, but of the victims and witnesses of the tragedy.”
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