Clovis library shooting

On the day of the shooting, the suspect recorded three videos at his home where he announces his planned massacre. In the videos, he apologizes for his upcoming actions and tries to explain his motivations in which he cited various factors (bullying, mental illness, and suicidal thoughts).{{Cite news |last1=Zamora |first1=Kaitlin |last2=Stafford |first2=Cassie |date=2019-02-12 |title=Courtroom hears testimony from victims during first day of Nathaniel Jouett sentencing |url=https://www.newschannel10.com/2019/02/11/courtroom-hears-testimony-victims-during-first-day-nathaniel-jouett-sentencing/ |access-date=2024-05-18 |website=News Channel 10 |language=en}}

The suspect entered the library at 4:15 pm MST on Monday, August 28, 2017, and went into the restroom. There, Jouett uploaded a photo of his camera bag, containing his father's guns and ammunition, to his social media. The uploaded photo also displayed a time "4:10 PM" over the original photo. A caption attached to the photo says "It begins".{{Cite web |date=2019-02-15 |title=Nathaniel Jouett Sentenced to Life for Clovis Library Shooting |url=https://www.myhighplains.com/news/new-mexico/nathaniel-jouett-sentenced-to-life-for-clovis-library-shooting/ |access-date=2024-05-18 |website=KAMR - MyHighPlains.com |language=en-US}} Shortly after he walked out of the restroom, he pulled out the .380-caliber handgun from his bag and began shooting.{{cite news|title=Shooting suspect: I thought I would kill myself or kill a bunch of people|url=http://www.koat.com/article/shooting-suspect-i-thought-i-would-kill-myself-or-kill-a-bunch-of-people/12140007|accessdate=30 August 2017|publisher=KOAT|date=30 August 2017}} At the time of the shooting, it was unclear how many people were in the library and Jouett seemed to fire randomly as individuals and parents with children tried to flee.{{Cite news|url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2017/08/30/teen-mass-shooting-suspect-was-searching-for-inner-peace/|title=Library shooting: Patrons tell of laughing gunman ordering them to run|date=2017-08-30|work=The Mercury News|access-date=2018-09-13|language=en-US}} In the span of six seconds, Jouett rapidly fired 14 rounds from the .380-caliber handgun indiscriminately. During those six seconds, he fatally shot two people and injured three others, including a 10-year-old child.{{Cite web |last=Grieder |first=David |title=Clovis observes library shooting anniversary |url=https://www.easternnewmexiconews.com/story/2018/08/26/news/clovis-observes-library-shooting-anniversary/158890.html |access-date=2024-05-18 |website=The Eastern New Mexico News |language=en}} Surveillance footage captured Jouett walking around the library, shouting at people to run, after he fired those 14 rounds. Eventually, Jouett placed the .380-caliber handgun back in the bag he was carrying and pulled out the .45-caliber handgun. He proceeded to wound one more person before firing four times through a door trying to hit someone who barricaded themselves. In total, he fired 14 rounds from the .380-caliber handgun and six rounds from the .45-caliber handgun.{{Cite web |last=Grieder |first=David |title=Shooting victims tell their stories |url=https://www.easternnewmexiconews.com/story/2019/02/13/news/shooting-victims-tell-their-stories/160783.html |access-date=2024-05-18 |website=The Eastern New Mexico News |language=en}} Jouett wandered around the library without firing any more shots and eventually encountered a man who had returned to the library while on the phone with 911. The shooter told the man to put down his phone. The man told Jouett that someone was looking for him. The suspect turned around and threatened a mother and child before walking towards where the man was pointing at. Soon after, the police arrived.

According to an eyewitness, the gunman entered the library and shot into the carpet, shouting "Run! Why aren’t you running? I’m shooting at you! Run!" before he began to move about the room shooting at people.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/08/28/two-dead-four-injured-in-shooting-at-new-mexico-library/|title=16-year-old faces murder charges in New Mexico library shooting|last1=DeGrandpre|first1=Andrew|date=29 August 2017|accessdate=30 August 2017|newspaper=Washington Post}} Another witness claimed that Jouett looked happy, that "He was just laughing, smiling the whole time, until he came up real close to me, and then he put on that mean look."

Police received multiple emergency calls. About 15 minutes after the first call came in, police received a call from the suspect's father, who told them that the suspect had taken his father's guns from the safe where they were kept, and left the house.

The suspect surrendered immediately when police arrived; he did not struggle with the arresting officers. He told police that he had been planning an attack for a while, and that he had intended to shoot up the school before killing himself.

Two people, Wanda Walters, 61, and Kristina Carter, 48, both library employees, were killed. Kristina Carter was the youth librarian and Wanda Walters worked at the circulation desk. Four people were wounded, who were identified as Howard Jones, 53, Jessica Thron, 30, Alexis Molina, 20, and Noah Molina, 10. Alexis was shot four times while shielding her brother, who was shot once, from gunfire.{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=Eastern New Mexico News |date=2019-08-15 |title=Clovis Library shooting survivors file civil lawsuit |url=https://abc7amarillo.com/news/local/clovis-library-shooting-survivors-file-civil-lawsuit |access-date=2025-01-06 |website=KVII |language=en}}

According to Public Radio station KUNM, although the Associated Press usually refrains from using the names of juvenile defendants, it chose to publish Nathaniel Jouett's name "because of the seriousness of the crime and because authorities are seeking adult sanctions."{{cite news|title=Teen Charged In Clovis Library Shooting To Undergo Evaluation|url=http://kunm.org/post/tequila-bat-gets-endangered-species-list-las-vegas-ex-employees-sue-city|accessdate=25 April 2018|agency=AP|publisher=KUNM|date=17 April 2018}}

Curry County District Attorney Andrea Reeb announced prior to the trial that she intended to prosecute Jouett as an adult. The suspect made his first court appearance on August 31, 2017.{{cite news|title=Teen accused of Clovis shooting makes first court appearance|url=https://www.krqe.com/news/teen-accused-of-clovis-shooting-makes-first-court-appearance/|accessdate=6 September 2017|publisher=KRQE|date=31 August 2017}} Jouett was indicted on September 8, 2017, for two counts of first-degree murder, seven counts of child abuse, four counts of aggravated battery, and twenty counts of assault with intent to commit a violent felony.{{cite news|title=Teen accused of deadly Clovis shooting to be tried as an adult|url=http://krqe.com/2017/09/08/new-mexico-prosecutors-take-clovis-shooting-case-to-grand-jury/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170909052052/http://krqe.com/2017/09/08/new-mexico-prosecutors-take-clovis-shooting-case-to-grand-jury/|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 9, 2017|accessdate=8 September 2017|publisher=KQRE|date=8 September 2017}}{{cite news|title=Grand jury indicts New Mexico teen in library shooting|url=http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/article171958747.html|accessdate=10 September 2017|agency=AP|publisher=Miami Herald|date=8 September 2017}}{{cite news|title=Trial date set for Clovis library shooting case|url=http://www.krqe.com/news/trial-date-set-for-clovis-library-shooting-case/1009388522|accessdate=25 April 2018|publisher=KRQE|date=13 February 2018}}

In April 2018, a judge denied a defense request to transfer Jouett from prison to a juvenile treatment facility,{{cite news|title=Teen charged in Clovis library shooting denied transfer|agency=AP|publisher=KOB|date=12 April 2018}} and ordered that he undergo a mental "evaluation and assessment" so that his mental health needs could be addressed.{{cite news|title=Teen charged in fatal library shooting to undergo evaluation|url=http://www.kob.com/new-mexico-news/nathaniel-jouett-clovis-library-shooting/4867913/|accessdate=25 April 2018|agency=AP|publisher=KOB|date=16 April 2018}}{{Dead link|date=June 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} On October 17, 2018, Jouett pleaded guilty in the shooting.{{cite news|last1=Mendoza|first1=Elena|title=Teen pleads guilty to all 30 charges in Clovis library shooting|url=https://www.krqe.com/news/crime/teen-pleads-guilty-to-all-30-charges-in-clovis-library-shooting/1531815171|accessdate=23 October 2018|publisher=KRQE|date=17 October 2018}} On February 15, 2019, Jouett was sentenced to two concurrent life sentences, with the possibility of parole, plus 40 years in prison.{{cite news|title=Judge sentences Nathaniel Jouett to two life sentences|url=http://www.newschannel10.com/2019/02/15/judge-sentences-nathaniel-jouett-two-life-sentences/|accessdate=15 February 2019|publisher=KFDA|date=15 February 2019}} Jouett is currently incarcerated in the Lea County Correctional Center.{{Cite web|url=https://search.cd.nm.gov/history_detail|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200219020709/https://search.cd.nm.gov/history_detail|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 19, 2020|title=NMCD Offender Search}} Under his original sentence, Jouett would've been eligible for parole after serving 34 years.{{Cite web |title=Google Search |url=https://www.google.com/search?q=nathaniel+jouett+%2232+years%22+parole&sca_esv=0eb164f915fa3037&rlz=1C1UEAD_enUS1078US1078&ei=QKH5Z6n_F7Kk5NoPtI_FwAs&ved=0ahUKEwipn4PmjNGMAxUyElkFHbRHEbgQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=nathaniel+jouett+%2232+years%22+parole&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiIm5hdGhhbmllbCBqb3VldHQgIjMyIHllYXJzIiBwYXJvbGUyBRAAGO8FMggQABiABBiiBDIIEAAYgAQYogQyCBAAGKIEGIkFMggQABiiBBiJBUiABVCnA1j5A3ABeAGQAQCYAVegAZgBqgEBMrgBA8gBAPgBAZgCAqACR8ICChAAGLADGNYEGEeYAwCIBgGQBgiSBwEyoAfCBbIHATG4B0Q&sclient=gws-wiz-serp |access-date=2025-04-11 |website=www.google.com}} Under a 2023 law restricting life sentences for juveniles, he will now be eligible for parole after serving 25 years.{{Cite web |last=Rose |first=Kaanita Iyer,Andy |date=2023-03-18 |title=New Mexico governor signs bill ending juvenile life sentences without parole {{!}} CNN Politics |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/18/politics/new-mexico-law-juvenile-life-sentences-parole/index.html |access-date=2025-04-11 |website=CNN |language=en}}

Family members of two of the wounded victims filed a lawsuit against the perpetrators parents and his psychologist.{{Cite web |date=2019-08-15 |title=Clovis library shooting survivors suing Nathaniel Jouett’s family, psychologist |url=https://www.newschannel10.com/2019/08/14/clovis-library-shooting-survivors-suing/ |access-date=2025-01-06 |website=www.newschannel10.com |language=en}}

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Category:Clovis, New Mexico

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Category:Attacks on libraries

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