2014 Reynolds High School Shooting

Overview

The 2014 Reynolds High School Shooting refers a school shooting carried out by 15-year-old student Jared Padgett that claimed the life of his classmate Emilio Hoffman at the Reynolds High School in Troutdale, Oregon in June 2014.

Background

On the morning of June 10th, 2014, Jared Padgett (shown below, left), armed with an AR-15 assault rifle and a handgun, entered the gym at his school, where he fatally shot 14-year-old freshman Emilio Hoffman (shown below, right) and injured physical education teacher Todd Rispler, shortly before ending his own life.

Notable Developments

On Facebook

Upon hearing the news of the shooting, Padgett’s sister posted a Facebook status update expressing concern for her little brother’s safety, who was unaware that he was soon to be identified as the shooter.

On Twitter

Meanwhile, the Twitter account of Emilio Hoffman, the sole victim in the shooting, was soon discovered and highlighted in the news coverage, including his last tweet in which he complained about his upcoming tests at school.

That day, the hashtag "#RHShooting" began trending with condolences and other expressions of support for those affected by the shooting.

Also on June 10th, Huffington Post writer Mark Gongloff tweeted a map of the United States with markers for the 74 school shootings that had occurred since the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting. In the first 24 hours, the tweet gained over 1,100 retweets and 190 favorites.

Additionally, Hoffman's girlfriend tweeted a screenshot of her final text message conversation with her boyfriend prior to his death.

Statement From Hoffman's Mother

Following the shooting, Jennifer Hoffman released a heartfelt statement regarding her son's death:

We want to share some thoughts about Emilio with the community.
Emilio lived in the Gresham/Troutdale area his whole life. He attended Kelly Creek Elementary, Gresham Arthur Academy, Reynolds Arthur Academy, and Walt Morey Middle School.
Emilio has one sister and three brothers as well as an extended family, including a number of foster brothers and sisters who he grew up with over the years.
He enjoyed science and history, but his true love was sports. Over the years he played t-ball and football, but when he found soccer, that was it. Soccer was his whole life. He played on a team for La Amistad and the Columbia River United Futbol Academy (CRUFA), local soccer leagues. He also coached a U7 team for TFA Barcelona Oregon for two of his younger brothers.
When we attended the candlelight vigil last night, we were humbled by the response from his friends, teachers and community. Emilio loved his friends, and his friends loved him.
To those friends we say – be happy like Emilio. Smile like him. Laugh like him.
You couldn't be around Emilio without laughing! Anyone who has ever met Emilio laughed with him. He had to be the center of attention at all times!
To the parents out there – Love your kids. Hug your kids every day. And live with no regrets. I don't have any regrets with Emilio. None. And he knew that.
Thank you for all of your support. It has provided comfort, and it is good to know how much Emilio was loved … not just by us, but by everybody.

News Media Coverage

Also on June 10th, The Daily Dot^[1] published an article highlighting notable tweets posted by survivors of the shooting. On June 11th, The Daily Mail^[5] reported that Padgett had become angry at classmates over his presentation about former leader of the German Nazi party Adolf Hitler one week prior to the shooting. In the coming days, the shooting was covered by a variety of news media outlets, including CNN,^[2] New York Daily News,^[3] NPR,^[4] NBC News,^[6] BuzzFeed^[7] and ABC News.^[8]

Search Interest

External References