Mooresville teen sentenced after planning school shooting

A Mooresville teenager who planned a school shooting on Valentine’s Day will face 12 years of prison.

Police arrested Trinity Shockley Feb. 12, after she planned a shooting at Mooresville High School. She has been held in Morgan County for the last nine months. In court Monday, Shockley and her attorney described years of mental health issues and bullying, leading her to an online crime community that inspired the plan.

In addition to time served in prison, Judge Dakota VanLeeuwen sentenced Shockley to five years of probation.

VanLeeuwen said Shockley’s case had “numerous, glaring, undisputed red flags,” and that Feb. 14, 2025, could have been a day of irreversible harm.

“Your actions created fear, isolation and mistrust,” VanLeeuwen said, “The exact opposite of what you sought: acceptance, friendship and belonging.”

Shockley pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit murder, a level 2 felony, prior to the sentencing.

Nov. 19, Shockley appeared in court, occasionally emotional and soft-spoken. Shockley apologized to a classmate she intended to target, as well as the Mooresville community, her peers and their families.

“I am so sorry I put you in that position of fear,” Shockley said.

At the order of VanLeeuwen, Shockley has received mental health treatment while in jail. She said she’s getting help and taking medication.

“It’s gotten a lot better since I’ve been surrounded by people that care about me,” Shockley said.

Shockley’s attorney, Joseph Gaunt, argued her plan was mostly a fantasy, and she had no ability to carry it out. Shockley said if the police had not arrested her, she would not have gone through with her plan.

Gaunt called the case a “tragedy all around.”

“She knew she couldn’t do it, but she kept talking about it,” Gaunt said. “That’s what makes this case hard.”

When Gaunt asked what she would say to her bullies on Monday, Shockley replied, “I would just forgive them.”

Mooresville counselors had attempted to get Shockley mental health treatment for years, but it was not possible without her father’s consent. Shockley said her father wanted her to “toughen it out.”

Detective Matthew McDaniel testified for the state, saying police found a “significant amount of online evidence and research” into the planned shooting.

“The defendant, your honor, has no understanding of what reality is,” said Morgan County Prosecutor Cassandra Mellady.

According to court documents and testimony, Shockley wanted to recreate the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, which left 17 people dead in Parkland, Fla. Shockley testified she idolized perpetrator Nikolas Cruz and others after finding solace in the true crime community online.

Shockley was arrested after a tip was submitted to the Sandy Hook Promise "Say Something" line, according to the FBI Indianapolis.

"This case is a powerful reminder that when the public speaks up, lives can be saved," the FBI said. "We remain committed to working with our partners to protect our schools and to hold accountable those who threaten them."

Conservative media outlets have reported Shockley was transgender, but she confirmed in court that she is not. Shockley said she used a male pseudonym online to avoid bullying and trolling.

Mooresville High School worked with Shockley after she was arrested, allowing her to finish her diploma. Shockley said in the future, she hopes to pursue psychology.

VanLeeuwen told Shockley that addressing her mental health is a lifelong commitment and responsibility.

“You are only 19-years-old,” VanLeeuwen said. “You can move forward from this.”