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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 25 OctOber

FBI: Newtown shooter had

pedophilic interest in kids

By DAVE COLLINS
Associated Press
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — There was evidence the New-
town school shooter had an interest in children that
could be categorized as pedophilia, but there was no
proof he ever acted on it, according to FBI documents
released Tuesday.
The records were among more than 1,500 pages of
documents released by the FBI in connection with its
investigation of the December 2012 shooting at Sandy
Hook Elementary School. Adam Lanza fatally shot 20
first-graders and six educators before killing himself as
police arrived.
The records also say there was evidence Lanza began
contemplating the attack as early as March 2011.
“The shooter did not ‘snap,’ but instead engaged in
careful, methodical planning and preparation,” the
FBI’s behavioral analysis unit wrote. “The shooter was
fascinated with past shootings and researched them
thoroughly. The shooter shared many similar character- Brad Steinle, the brother of Kate Steinle, left, and his wife Amy walk to a courthouse in San
istics and behaviors with other active shooters.” Francisco, Monday, Oct. 23, 2017.
The behavioral analysis unit document did not say ex- (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
actly what evidence there was that Lanza had a pedo-
philic interest in children. But another document says an In pier killing case:
unidentified woman told the FBI that Lanza said adult- Tourist took pictures of suspect, victim
child sexual relationships could be “possibly beneficial
to both parties.” By PAUL ELIAS and so-called sanctuary parked car in San Francisco
The woman, who said she had an “online relationship” Associated Press city policies because the a week before Steinle was
with Lanza for more than two years before the school SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A man charged with her shot. Garcia Zarate, 54, has
shooting, said Lanza did acknowledge that adult-child tourist visiting a popular San murder was deported to acknowledged shooting
sexual relationships could be “unhealthy,” and he did Francisco pier two years Mexico five times before Steinle in the back, but said
not express any personal sexual interest in children. She ago snapped three quick the shooting. The witness, the shooting was acciden-
said Lanza believed he might be asexual. photographs that turned Michelle Lo, testified that tal and that he was han-
She also told the FBI that Lanza compiled a spreadsheet out to be key pieces of as she walked onto the pier dling the handgun when it
that meticulously documented hundreds of mass mur- evidence in the high-profile she noticed Garcia Zarate accidentally fired.
ders and spree killings, but she didn’t believe he would murder trial of a homeless because he was spinning He is charged with second-
carry out a mass killing. She said Lanza also believed Mexican man charged around in the chair, which degree murder and faces
that mass murders were a symptom of a broken soci- with killing a woman two was built to revolve. She a sentence of 15 years to
ety and he may have believed he was “saving” chil- years ago. did not look long at him but life in prison if convicted.
dren from the “harmful influences” of adults during the The witness’ photographs testified he made her feel Prosecutors dropped that
school shooting. captured Jose Ines Garcia uncomfortable. charge, and the San Fran-
The documents include reports by FBI agents who inter- Zarate sitting on a seat on “I did not pay special at- cisco sheriff released Gar-
viewed people about Lanza. Large portions of many of the pier and the back of tention to him,” Lo said, cia Zarate from jail despite
the documents were redacted, including the names of Kate Steinle several yards adding that Garcia Zarate a federal immigration re-
the people who spoke to the agents. (meters) away moments caught her eye because quest to detain him for at
The documents also offer a window into the early days before she was shot on “the chair was spinning least two more days for
of the investigation, as agents chased false leads and July 1, 2015. They were dis- and I saw him.” deportation. The sheriff’s
gathered evidence of Lanza’s isolation. played to the jury Tuesday The handgun fired in the kill- department said it was fol-
A year after the massacre, state police released a fi- during the second day of ing belonged to a U.S. Bu- lowing the city’s sanctuary
nal investigative document that concluded Lanza was Garcia Zarate’s trial. reau of Land Management policy of limited coopera-
obsessed with firearms, death and mass shootings, but Steinle’s death sparked ranger who reported that tion with federal immigra-
that the motive may never be known. q
debate over immigration it had been stolen from his tion authorities.q