On Monday, February 3, 2025, John Hagins was sentenced to eight years in prison followed by 22 years of probation after pleading no contest to Attempted Manslaughter (Firearm), Attempted Terrorism, and Written Threats to Kill or Do Bodily Injury.
Hagins, a former flight student at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU), had repeatedly joked about “shooting up” the school. Witnesses became concerned after he purchased a firearm and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.
On December 8, 2021, Hagins sent a Snapchat message showing a backpack containing a gun and ammunition. A witness reported the threat to campus security. The following morning, Daytona Beach Police arrested Hagins as he left his apartment with the backpack. During questioning, he admitted to discussing an attack on ERAU and referenced the Columbine High School shooting.
“This defendant was stopped before he could carry out his plan to inflict mass casualties on one of our country’s most prestigious universities,” State Attorney R.J. Larizza stated. “We should all be profoundly grateful for the investigative prowess exhibited by the DBPD.”
The Daytona Beach Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant State Attorney Ashley McCarthy prosecuted the case, and Judge Leah Case presided over the sentencing.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.