Teenager watched school shooting film shortly before gun deaths, says friend

THE teenager who shot five schoolmates to death had watched a movie about a school shooting with friends earlier this month — skipping ahead to some of the most violent scenes, a friend said yesterday.

Jeff Weise was also taking the anti-depressant Prozac following a suicide scare last summer, said Sky Grant, 16.

Grant said Weise brought the 2003 movie Elephant to Grant’s house on March 4, then skipped ahead to the parts that show two students planning and carrying out a school shooting.

The teens talked about the movie afterward, but Weise didn’t say anything that made them think he planned to emulate the movie, Grant said. “It all seemed normal,” he said.

Authorities said they don’t know what motivated Weise, 16, to kill nine people before he shot himself on Monday at Red Lake High School. The dead included a teacher and a security guard at the school; Weise’s grandfather and his companion were killed earlier at the grandfather’s house.

Grant and his mother, Gayle Downwind, said Weise was taken to a psychiatric ward in Thief River Falls last summer after Weise frightened another friend with suicidal computer messages. Grant said he didn’t know how long Weise stayed at the hospital.

Grant, who was taking Zoloft, said he and Weise talked in detail about anti-depressants. He said Weise told him he was taking 40 milligrams a day of Prozac: 20 in the morning, 20 at night.

“He was a lot more quiet. I wouldn’t say any better,” Grant said.

In a number of online postings attributed to Weise, he wrote of depression and feelings of worthlessness. In a January 4 posting, he wrote: “I should’ve taken the razor blade express last time around. ... Well, whatever, man. Maybe they’ve got another shuttle comin’ around soon?”

Wakes had begun for some of the Red Lake victims, with the first funerals scheduled today for Weise’s grandfather, Daryl Lussier, and his companion, Michelle Sigana.

The school isn’t scheduled to reopen until next month.