Andrew H's video: Former classmates say the Dayton gunman had a hit list in high school

Former classmates say the Dayton gunman had a 'hit list' in high school. Updated 3:11 PM ET, Mon August 5, 2019 Be sure to like, comment, and subscribe for more breaking news! As a high school student, the gunman in the Dayton massacre had a "hit list" of classmates he wanted to "kill" or "rape," said former students who said they were told by school officials they were on the list. Spencer Brickler said a counselor at Bellbrook High School in Ohio told him he and his sister were on Connor Betts' hit list. Brickler recalled sitting on a school bus about nine years ago when he saw Betts getting escorted away by officers investigating the threats. "He was kind of dark and depressive in high school," said Brickler, who was a freshman when the school counselor told him about the hit list. He said he had no idea what prompted Betts, then a sophomore, to put him or his sister on the list. The information has taken on new significance now that police say Betts has been identified as the gunman who killed nine people early Sunday morning in a popular nightlife district in downtown Dayton. Police officers on patrol nearby responded and killed Betts. While his motive remains a mystery, a dark picture is emerging of the shooter. Authorities searched the Betts' family home in Bellbrook, a suburb southeast of Dayton, and uncovered writings that expressed an interest in killing people, two law enforcement sources told CNN. But the writings did not indicate any racial or political motive, sources said. A 'kill list' for boys and a 'rape list' for girls Another former high school classmate, who asked not to be identified out of concerns for his privacy, also recalled being summoned to a school administrator's office and being told he was "number one" on the list of students Betts wanted to kill. He said the list was separated into two columns: a "kill list" for boys and a "rape list" for girls. In response to CNN's questions about the hit list, Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Schools Superintendent Douglas A. Cozad said, "I can confirm that Connor Betts was a student at Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Local Schools his entire school career and graduated from Bellbrook High School in 2013. "Since he has not been a student here for over six years, we are still gathering additional information and will release it as soon as we can," Cozad said. Another source, who also asked not to be named for privacy reasons, told CNN that Betts sent messages about the list to one of his classmates, who told her mother. Her mother then notified the police, who came to the school and interviewed people on the list individually in the school's office. "Personally, it freaked me out," said the classmate who was told she was on the list. "I started having panic attacks in the school building." A fourth person, who also asked not to be named for privacy reasons, said, "All I know is there was a list of violent actions and a list of names including mine." She said some of the names were female students who, like her, turned him down for dates. She said Betts often simulated shooting other students and threatened to kill himself and others on several occasions. "He loved to look at you and pretend to shoot with guns, guns with his hands," she said. Another former classmate, who was not on the list, said he met Betts through a "friend of a friend." He said whenever they hung out, Betts would talk about violence and use harsh language about women, like calling them "sluts." Betts' former classmates told CNN that they recalled Betts being removed from the school for at least a year, but that he later returned to Bellbrook High. The shooter later attended Sinclair Community College in Dayton but was not enrolled in the summer term, the school's president Steve Johnson said. Not everyone remembered Betts as a troubled teen. Betts' friend Brad Howard, described Betts as "a really nice kid" who was quiet and kept to himself. Howard said he grew up with Betts and knew him for over 20 years. He said news of Betts' final act was "a kick in the teeth" to the community. Thanks for listening to BIT News. Subscribe for more content!