LAWRENCEBURG, Ky. (WDRB) — A man accused of having a detailed plan to attack several Kentucky schools has notified authorities that he now wants to plead guilty.
The request comes just weeks before his scheduled trial.
According to court documents, 22-year-old Dylan Jarrell, of Lawrenceburg, has requested a re-arraignment date to enter the plea. The new re-arraignment date was set for Nov. 20 in Frankfort.
He initially pleaded not guilty to seven federal charges, including the use of social media to send threatening and racist messages. It's unclear which charges will be addressed. State charges of terroristic threatening and harassing communications were dismissed in July.
State police say Jarrell was heavily armed when he was arrested in October 2018 after a woman reported harassing Facebook messages. Police said they uncovered evidence of "threats of bodily harm against multiple persons at a school."
Kentucky State notified both Anderson and Shelby County Schools of a "valid and imminent" threat, after uncovering a weapon, ammunition and what they called a "detailed plan of attack" at Jarrell's home. Anderson County Schools decided to cancel classes Friday. Shelby County schools opted to cancel morning activities, since the district was on fall break.
A KSP trooper and an FBI agent initially went to Jarrell's home in Anderson County, after a New Jersey woman called about getting unsolicited messages from him on Facebook. The arrest report said Jarrell admitted to police that he sent the racially motivated messages.
Kentucky State Police Commissioner Rick Sanders said Jarrell was arrested as he was backing out of his driveway. Sanders said troopers approached Jarrell as he was backing out of his driveway, and he had “the tools” he needed to carry out a school shooting.
Jarrell then gave police permission to examine his phone. During a search of the phone, they found threats to "multiple persons" at a school. A search warrant turned up evidence including a firearm, more than 200 rounds of ammunition, a Kevlar vest, a 100-round high capacity magazine, and "a detailed plan of attack."
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