Plumsted man accused of planning graduation shooting indicted

Andrew J. Goudsward | Asbury Park Press

Show Caption Hide Caption Training for active school shooter response On the 19th anniversary of the shootings at Columbine High School, police from Monmouth County responded to the St. Denis School in Manasquan for an active shooter response drill.

A Plumsted teenager accused of obsessing over past mass shootings and plotting one of his own — at New Egypt High School's graduation ceremony last month — has been indicted on terrorism charges.

The indictment returned Wednesday charges Matthew Vanderbeek, 19, with terrorism, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and attempted possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose, according to a statement from the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office.

Authorities say Vanderbeek was first arrested and expelled from the Brick Vocational School in May after threatening to shoot up that school's graduation.

A month later, he asked a friend to drive him to a Jackson sporting goods store to buy a gun, but was kicked out of the car after saying he was going to fire at students and staff at the New Egypt High School graduation ceremony, according to a police affidavit.

Police began investigating June 19 after New Egypt High School's principal was shown texts from students suggesting that Vanderbeek was planning a shooting.

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Authorities discovered a Snapchat post purportedly from Vanderbeek that included a video from the animated TV show "South Park" showing a character loading a handgun over a caption that read, “Where do you see yourself in 10 years?” At the end of the video was a caption that read, “I see myself dead in the end.”

He made similar posts referencing death and the apocalypse on his Instagram page, according to the affidavit.

Police searched Vanderbeek's Hyacinth Court home to check for weapons and seize communications that might indicate he has plotting the shooting, according to the proseuctor's statement. He was arrested June 20, the day before the graduation ceremony, which went ahead as scheduled.

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A terrorism charge was added against the teenager the following week, allowing Vanderbeek to face up to life in prison if convicted.

Vanderbeek told authorities that he got a "rush" from studying past mass shootings and dyed his hair red to mimic James Holmes, who also dyed his hair when he killed 12 people and wounded 70 others at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado on July 20, 2012, the affidavit states.

Vanderbeek admitted to past threats against Brick Vocational School, but told authorities he never mentioned a graduation.

Vanderbeek has been held in the Ocean County Jail since a superior court judge pronounced him a threat to society on June 28 and ordered him held without bail to await trial.

IN COURT: Plumsted terrorism plot: Teen held without bail

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Andrew Goudsward: @AGoudsward; 732-897-4555; agoudsward@gannettnj.com