Arizona School Shooting: Suicide Notes Uncovered From High School Student Involved In Murder-Suicide
On Friday, authorities released the suicide notes apparently left behind by a student who shot another student and then took her own life earlier this month, during a February 12 Arizona school shooting.
New York Daily News reports Dorothy Dutiel, 15, wrote a suicide note about her relationship with May Kieu, also 15, stemming from a murder-suicide at Independence High School in Glendale. After fatally shooting May Kieu, Dutiel shot herself. Both girls were found dead in an isolated area, close to the high school’s cafeteria.
The sister of one of the Independence High shooting victims released pictures of 15 year old May Kieu #12News pic.twitter.com/jqOwQgzlk4
— Ivan Hernandez (@IvanHNews1) February 12, 2016
In the first of a series of emotional suicide notes, Dutiel asked for family and friends to forgive her, but to also forget about her. She admitted she was happy at home, but struggled with depression. In another note, addressed to authorities, Dutiel named the student she got the weapon from, but wrote that the student was no way involved in her actions, and that she lied to get the gun.
“I would like to clarify that him and his family are in no way affiliated with my actions.”
After reading the suicide notes, Nicole Roberts, associate professor of psychology at Arizona State University (ASU) who didn’t know either girl, stated that Duriel may have thought she needed a weapon to protect herself, although the student ended up turning the weapon on herself.
“She felt that she was solely responsible for everything and felt really alone. She may have in fact felt that she needed a weapon to protect herself. What’s so tragic, is that she did turn it against herself and her loved one because she didn’t know what else to do.”
In another note, Dutiel wrote that the victim, whom she identified as Kieu, was her girlfriend and someone she grew up with. Apparently, Kieu told her she didn’t love her anymore, and Duriel admitted that she was “not okay” after that. Portions of the note were censored by authorities.
“The victim is my girlfriend, whom I grew up with…. She hasn’t loved me like that for a long time……. That she’s been iffy about us for years. This week has been the worst in my life.”
Dutiel also addressed her parents in another note, and admitted she could have handled the situation better, but that she simply didn’t know what else to do. Some of the notes were found in Duriel’s family home, while others were found scattered around the crime scene.
Prior to the shooting, Dutiel took to Twitter, where she simply said “Goodbye.” In a prior tweet, Dutiel indicated she felt “rejected,” but didn’t elaborate.
Good bye (:
— Dorothy ?? (@DorothyDutiel) February 12, 2016
The school shooting incident quickly gained national attention. As news reporters filed in to see what happened, concerned parents waited outside of the school to pick up their children, still unsure of who was killed and if the students were safe.
Fortunately, no other students were physically harmed in the incident. Counselors and psychologists were on hand at school following the shootings, to offer emotional help to any student needing it. The parents of the suspect and the victim of the Arizona school shooting told authorities that they do not want to press charges against the boy who originally had the weapon that Duriel used in the shootings.
[Photo by AP/Matt York]
