After being taken into custody , Terrell told reporters he " just went into a classroom and shot the guys " . He then reportedly made a full confession to investigators , saying he had planned an attack for some months . In subsequent statements requesting search warrants from a court , lead investigator Detective Brian Koll of the CMPD wrote Terrell " stated he had been planning this shooting for several months and described to detectives where and how he obtained the firearm , research he had conducted on mass shootings , and how he chose this location . " In his confession , Terrell reportedly referenced the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting , which police sources said he had " researched " at length . According to the same sources , he had gone to a shooting range to practice and had " at least 10 magazines . " Dressed in black , he took the light rail to campus on the day of the shooting , carrying a backpack ; CMPD investigators intended to review available security footage along the line . Terrell told investigators that he had entered the Kennedy Building with the intention of shooting others ; before attacking , he loaded his weapon in a restroom near the classroom . He reportedly chose his victims at random with no specific target intended . According to police search warrants , he informed investigators he had used his Samsung cell phone to record a video of the shooting
Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting
Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting
University of North Carolina at Charlotte shooting