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EVERETT, Wash. (AP) — A Snohomish County judge on Thursday ordered the release of text messages between a 15-year-old girl and her ex-boyfriend in the days before he fatally shot four classmates at Marysville Pilchuck High School.
Most of the records released Thursday evening focus on the tumultuous end of a long-term relationship between the girl and Jaylen Fryberg, the Daily Herald reported.
In October, Jaylen Fryberg shot and killed four friends and wounded another after inviting them to lunch in the school cafeteria. He also killed himself.
Superior Court Judge Richard Okrent said Thursday that there was legitimate public interest in releasing the messages, which were part of the police investigation. The girl's attorney Thomas Ahearne had argued that she would be harmed if the texts are made public.
The newly released text messages reveal emotional exchanges between the girl and Fryberg.
On Sept. 6, 2014, the two texted loving messages and discussed getting engaged. By Oct. 19, they were exchanging messages that said "I hate you."
On Oct. 21, Fryberg sent a series of messages that went unanswered until he texted threats of killing himself. "Just please talk me out of this. The guns in my hand," he texted to the girl.
The next day, he wrote the girl a series of messages: "I set the date. Hopefully you regret not talking to me."
"You have no idea what I'm talking about. But you will," he wrote, followed by another text: "Bang bang I'm dead."
On Oct. 23 at 1:16 p.m., the day before the shooting, he texted "meet me by the cafeteria after school so I can say by."
She finally responded on Oct. 24, at 10:38 a.m., around the time of the shooting, telling Fryberg to leave her alone. She wrote: "And I will be texting dad and letting him know about your whole 'killing yourself' situation."
"Your dad knows. Just sent him a message about what you just did," the girl wrote.
At 10:39 a.m., the first 911 call is made to report the shooting.
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