Watch CBS News

South Jersey Mom Helps Thwart Potential School Attack In Kentucky After Receiving Racist Facebook Message

Follow CBSPHILLY Facebook  | Twitter

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- For the past three days, Koeberle Bull has been inundated with messages of gratitude and love sent from strangers in Kentucky.

"They are amazing. The first thing a lot of them say is, 'He does not represent what our community is about,'" said Bull at her home Monday evening.

PETA Suggests People Try Fish-Free Seafood

Bull lives in Lumberton, New Jersey, and never visited or gave Kentucky much thought until last Wednesday when she received a private Facebook message from a man she didn't know.

That message came from a Facebook account with the name Dylan Jarrell. It pictured a gunman gripping a weapon. The message contained crude and racist remarks involving her three children pictured in her profile picture.

At one point it reads, "I hope your black children gets (sic) hung for you being so stupid."

South Jersey Mom Helps Thwart Potential School Attack In Kentucky After Receiving Racist Facebook Message
Credit: CBS3

Jarrell's profile listed him as living in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. Bull has no idea how he found her online but he picked the wrong South Jersey mom to message.

"I decided to call Lawrenceburg Police Department," said Bull.

Prompted by Bulls tip, 20-year-old Jarrell was stopped by Kentucky authorities on Thursday -  just in time -  according to investigators.

According to CBS-affiliate WKYT in Lexington, police caught up with Jarrell as he was pulling out of his driveway with a gun, ammunition and a Kevlar vest with the "intention of carrying out a school shooting."

Dylan Jarrell
Credit: WKYT

The suspect lived close to the nearby Anderson County High School. In a Friday news conference, Kentucky authorities said that tragedy was avoided thanks to a call "from a female in New Jersey."

That woman behind the call is Bull, a widow and mother of three who showed her children that doing the right thing can have a widespread impact.

Exploding Toilets Prompts Recall Of 1.4 Million 'Flushmate' Flushing Systems

"Something told me not to let this go," she said with two of her children sitting beside her.

Jarrell has been charged with making terroristic threats and harassing communications. He is now behind bars.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.