Teen charged in fatal mall stabbing allegedly wrote goodbye letter saying he wanted to kill ‘as many people as possible’

What began as an ordinary stop at a California shopping mall ended in a shocking act of violence that has left an entire community searching for answers. Authorities say a 73-year-old woman was chosen at random by a teenager who allegedly admitted he simply wanted to kill someone that day.

The victim, Rachell Summers, had gone to Capitola Mall on July 20 to collect a paycheck from the store where she worked. Within moments of leaving the building, she was attacked in broad daylight in an incident investigators describe as completely unprovoked, True Crime News reported.

As more details have emerged, court records have revealed disturbing allegations about the suspect’s past. Those revelations have made the case even more unsettling while raising questions about whether warning signs had been missed.

It’s hard to believe this was apparently planned only hours before

According to SFGate, Summers managed Art of Santa Cruz, a shop that sells work created by local artists. After picking up her check, she exited the mall where she was stabbed multiple times.

Police arrived quickly and performed lifesaving measures until paramedics reached the scene, KTLA reported. Despite those efforts, Summers was pronounced dead outside the mall. Authorities soon located 19-year-old accounting student Tyler Leibelt near the shopping center and arrested him without incident.

Investigators allege Leibelt admitted he did not know Summers. Police say he told officers he wanted to kill someone that day and had considered several other people before choosing Summers.

Court documents reveal Leibelt has a juvenile criminal record. The report states that the Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office filed a gun violence restraining order against him last November. The order prevented him from purchasing firearms.

As reported by KRON, a deputy wrote in a restraining order, According to the deputy’s restraining order filing, Leibelt had expressed a desire to cause a mass casualty event and wrote a goodbye letter describing wanting to “kill as many people as possible.” The filing also alleged a history of violence toward others, including a sexual assault involving a minor with a disability. Capitola police also allege Leibelt bought two knives from a nearby store shortly before the attack.

A GoFundMe page created by a family friend described the enormous loss left behind. It states, “Her passing has left a deep void in the lives of everyone who loved her, especially her grandson,” the page states, noting Rachell had become a grandmother for the first time the previous year.

Leibelt has been charged with first-degree murder and was booked into jail without bail. He was scheduled to appear in court on July 29 to enter a plea. The investigation remains ongoing.