RED LAKE, Minn. — He wore black clothes, eyeliner and may have called himself "the Angel of Death" -- in German -- on a neo-Nazi website. He drew ghoulish cartoons of skeletons. One, displayed in his English classroom about a month ago, bore the caption, "March to the death song 'til your boots fill with blood."
The FBI on Tuesday identified that troubled student, 16-year-old Jeffrey Weise, as the shooter responsible for the bloodiest episode of school violence since the 1999 Columbine massacre in Colorado.
On Monday, Weise killed his grandfather and his grandfather's companion before heading to Red Lake High School, where he fatally shot five students, a teacher and a security guard. Then he killed himself. Seven others were wounded.
Students and others on the Red Lake Indian Reservation struggled to understand what set Weise off. Some said the muscular teenager was quiet and was teased at school. Others said Weise was liked.
"Right now, we are in utter disbelief and shock," said Floyd Jourdain Jr., chairman of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa. "Our community is just devastated by this event. We have never seen anything like this in the history of our tribe."
Weise had no prior police record, FBI Agent Michael Tabman said. "We have no theories as to a motive at this time," he added.
School officials said Weise had been home-tutored recently as part of a disciplinary action. They would not disclose the reason for the punishment.
"I think everyone is at a loss as to what this was all about," said Preston Graves, 57, the owner of a small food store and the father of a 14-year-old who hid in a classroom while Weise went on his shooting spree. Graves' son, Reggie, survived.
A dozen students who gathered Tuesday at Beaulieu's Gas & Store said Weise was interested in heavy metal, hard rock and gothic music. They said he often wore black T-shirts and a long black coat.
The FBI said that school computers and others the teen had access to were being examined. Investigators were trying to find out whether Weise had frequented a neo-Nazi website.
An Internet posting last year signed by "Todesengel" (German for "Angel of Death") was linked to the shooter. It began: "Hello All, my name is Jeff Weise, a Native American from the Red Lake 'Indian' reservation in Minnesota." Weise said he was interested in joining the Native American Nationalists, a separatist group.
