Florida State shooter Myron May was recently described by police as a man under psychological "crisis." A former prosecutor, Florida State shooter Myron May opened fire at the university library after reportedly descending into paranoia and posting on Facebook about being "encouraged by your handler to kill."
Florida State shooter Myron May's family and friends reportedly described him as a "good person." He recently moved back to his home town to open up his own law practice and finally leave behind "troubles" he had.
The life of Florida State shooter Myron May appeared the ideal American story. Coming from a poor family while growing up, May strived hard to graduate from Florida State University. He graduated with honors and worked his way through law school, all the while building a career many would have wanted.
Nothing is what it seems however. According to police, Florida State shooter, Myron May, was a troubled man, after they looked into his journal entries. He also recently shared a conspiratorial video on Facebook about technology where the government plants voices in people's heads.
During an afternoon news conference, Tallahassee Police Department Chief Michael DeLeo said Florida State shooter Myron May was having a personal crisis. He added that May is someone "struggling either psychologically or emotionally."
Florida State shooter Myron May was convinced that he was being targeted by the U.S. government. On his Facebook page, it was apparent that May was interested in "targeted individuals," who believe they are victims of mind control and covert harassment which they call "gangstalking."
"Has anyone here ever been encouraged by your handler to kill with a promise of freedom?" Florida State shooter Myron May wrote on the Facebook page of "Targeted Individuals International" Nov. 14.
Targeted Individuals are people who are often seen as conspiratorial or delusional. They argue being targets of spying, harassment or abuse, at times by electromagnetic radiation weaponry, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
Police stress that the 31-year-old FSU alum and lawyer was falling apart.
"Mr. May had a written journal and videos where he expressed fears of being targeted, and that he wanted to bring attention to this issue of targeting," DeLeo said. "The first preliminary review of these documents and videos demonstrate that Mr. May was in a state of crisis."
Florida State shooter Myron May graduated from FSU in 2005 with a degree in Bachelor of Science. He went on to earn a law degree from Texas Tech University in 2009, after which he practiced law in Texas. The Florida State shooter moved to New Mexico and worked there as a public defended in Las Cruces and then as prosecutor in the Dona Ana County district attorney's office, NBC News reports.
"He was an effective Prosecutor who was deeply committed to his work and serving the public while employed at our office," the DA said in a statement, adding that May "abruptly resigned" on Oct. 6.
After resigning, Florida State shooter Myron May went to Wewahitchka, his hometown, which is about 30 minutes east of Panama City near Apalachicola National Forest.
"He wanted to come back to his roots and open his own practice here," said David Taunton, a longtime family friend. "He was supposed to take the Florida bar exam in February. We were basically providing him with emergency shelter until he could get on his feet. He was having some financial difficulties."
Abigail Taunton, David's wife who is also a friend of Florida State shooter, Myron May, said he went to Tallahassee about a week ago to visit friends.
On Nov. 6, he posted on his Facebook announcing his return to Wewahitchka. Many of his Facebook friends therefore welcomed him back to Florida. The Facebook profile of the shooter indicated that his occupation was an in-house legal counsel at Taunton Family Children's Home in Wewahitchka.
However, Abigail, who reportedly co-founded the children's home with her husband, said Florida State shooter, Myron May was a family friend, and not an employee at the home.
"He was staying in one of our guest houses. He's a longtime friend, grew up with my kids," Abigail told Gulf County Sheriff's deputies at the children's home who are looking at the guest house where May had been staying.
"He decided to come back home and was just staying with us temporarily while he found a place to rent. We were letting him do a little bit of research for us on this and that, to keep him busy while he was studying to take the [Florida] Bar exam in February."
Taunton also described May as generally a "smiley, happy-go-lucky" person who had times "when he seemed a little down." She added that he didn't appear to be angry and the type of person who would have done a shooting.
"He was having some financial discomfort, filing bankruptcy, and seemed a little depressed about the situation - the fact that he'd left his job out there and decided he'd come here, and anxious a little bit about getting started on his own with his own practice," Taunton said.
"But nothing that would have indicated anything like today."
Taunton added that she hadn't seen Florida State shooter, Myron May, since he left for Tallahassee a week before.
"He stayed with us through last Friday and we haven't seen him since. There's no way to explain something like this, but he was a good person," she said.
"He had given testimony in church two or three weeks ago about how God had blessed him and enabled him to get a law degree from nothing, and he didn't have anything growing up as a child," Tuanton said.
"He came from a poor family, had done well and was proud of the fact he'd done well. He must not have been in his right mind. Something went wrong somewhere," she said, describing May.
There was reportedly several posts on May's Facebook showing Biblical scripture. The last one was on Nov. 18, where he said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Other postings meanwhile, pointed towards a paranoid streak.
On Saturday, Florida State shooter, Myron May, posted twice on his wall a link to a video interview from TV show "Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura." On the video is an interview with Dr. Robert Duncan "who put together the technology that allows the government to transmit thoughts and voices into the heads of Americans."
Florida State shooter, Myron May posted the video with the caption, "IS OUR GOVERNMENT VIOLATING ORDINARY CITIZENS' RIGHTS? UNFORTUNATELY, THE ANSWER IS YES! SEE INSIDE THIS VIDEO."
On Nov. 15 the Florida State shooter, Myron May, wrote on the page that he was a lawyer who was mulling legal action. He also announced he already formed a group "for every TI who wants to pursue a class action lawsuit."
Chief DeLeo said police have already searched May's vehicle, examined his mobile phone and have interviewed 20-25 primary witnesses of the Florida State shooting incident. DeLeo added that Florida State shooter, Myron May, acted alone and there is no ongoing danger to anyone on campus who had been involved in the shootings earlier in the day.
DeLeo also said so far there are no signs that Florida State shooter, Myron May, have ever encountered law enforcement with TPD or the Leon County Sheriff's Office.
As of the current moment, motive for the Thursday attack on FSU remains unknown.
"We have not found any information at this time about why he chose this morning to act or why he chose the Strozier Library as the place for his actions," DeLeo said.
Meanwhile, one of the shooting's victims, Nathan Scott, has voluntarily made an afternoon statement through Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, reports the Tallahassee Democrat. He said he was shot in the leg and is currently recovering at the hospital with his family. Scott is listed in good condition, according to a TMH news release.
After Florida State shooter, Myron May, attacked the university early Thursday morning, 50 to 70 officers responded to the shooting. He was shot and killed by an officer after first firing a shot at authorities.
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