Parents want to keep their children safe at all costs, but what happens when that safety comes at the expense of others? It’s an awful situation that no parent wants to face, but it’s a reality for one mother.
Nicole Schubert was cleaning her 17-year-old son’s room when she stumbled upon the high schooler’s journal. What she found inside altered the course of her family’s lives forever.
Curiosity Kills
Curiosity led Schubert to invade her son’s privacy in a story shared by Wonderbot. She rifled through the journal’s pages, expecting to glimpse her son’s inner thoughts and perhaps learn better ways to connect with him. Instead, she found plans for a horrific killing spree—one that was destined to start in their own home.
“It was very descriptive,” Schubert told Good Morning America. “It was just heartbreaking; I didn’t really want to know the details.”
Bone Chilling Horror
Her son intended to kill his mother first. He would murder her around five in the morning, and then killl her boyfriend.
After eliminating his guardians, the teenager planned to go to school. He attended a public high school in Washington State and would attack students there later that same day.
Battling With Inner Turmoil
The details were horrifying. Schubert did not know her son had these thoughts. She felt confused, hurt, and fearful. She loves her son.
“That’s my child; I gave birth to him, you know. It hurts a lot. It still hurts.”
Her first instinct was to protect her son at all costs. But what was the best way to protect him?
She Had to Make a Difficult Call
A few hours after discovering the journal, Schubert called 911. It’s impossible to describe the anguish Schubert felt in those moments. Her son would be arrested—she would be the reason her son would be arrested.
Her options were to live with that guilt and pain or risk letting him commit the horrors he outlined. She chose to act for others and believed her son would ultimately be safer in jail, where he couldn’t hurt anyone.
“I wasn’t just about me and him at that point,” the devastated mother said, “it was about a whole school. Hundreds of people’s kids.”
She had coworkers whose children attended the school. She would not gamble their lives away.
No Regrets
The police interrogated Schubert’s son when he returned home from school. They found a knife in the teenager’s pocket, sharp enough to hurt someone.
Schubert also told police about materials that she found in her son’s room that appeared to be used to make a pipe bomb. The teenager was led away in handcuffs.
Schubert did not regret sending her child to prison. “I believe I saved lives.”
The Verdict
Her son denied allegations, claiming that he hadn’t written a true mass murder plan but instead “it was just a story.
Eventually, he pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to 18 months of community supervision and 20 hours of community service.
A Warning for Parents
Schubert warns parents to monitor their kids closely. Boundaries are a popular buzzword amongst adolescents, but had Schubert not read the diary, many lives would have been lost.
She shares her story with the hope that it will encourage parents to talk to their children and stay in their kids’ business. They won’t like it, but Schubert says, “as parents, it’s our job to know what our kids are doing. Just be aware and watch for signs; kids will normally tell you by their actions when something is wrong.”
Mother’s Sacrifice
The sacrifice Schubert made was not easy. She chose to look at the bigger picture, and her quick decision-making definitely kept people safe.
With the rise of mass shootings, it is never okay to dismiss those warning signs. Her son may or may not have meant it as a joke or fictional story. No one will ever be able to tell, and that is key. Letting it slide and finding out after a tragedy would be far worse.
The Internet Approves
“I have the greatest respect for this mother.” A comment on Schubert’s story read.
“Torn in so many horrible directions, she did the right thing even though it was tearing her heart out. May God give her peace in His comfort.”
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This article was produced and syndicated by TPR Teaching. Source.
