Teen Convicted of Killing Mother After Abandoning School Shooting Plan

<p>A teenage girl from Georgia was convicted of killing her mother after abandoning a plan to commit a school shooting, according to authorities. Lilyana Rose Wagner, 16, was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to murder and aggravated assault in the November 2024 death of her mother, Rachel Wagner, 51, as stated by Tifton District Attorney Patrick Warren.</p><p>The incident was discovered after Wagner, then 14, crashed her mother's car. When officers arrived, Wagner informed them that she lived alone with her mother. The officers conducted a welfare check at their home and found Rachel Wagner dead from a gunshot wound to the back of her head.</p><p>Investigators reported that Wagner had developed an obsession with school shootings and had built an online reputation related to planning mass casualty events. In a handwritten confession, she indicated that killing her mother was a last-minute decision, stating, "This whole thing was a last-minute choice. I was going to commit a school shooting at my old middle school but chose this instead. Although I didn’t commit a school shooting, the whole event was inspired by these people." She also listed the names of six school shooters from memory.</p><p>In the months leading up to the murder, Wagner communicated with anonymous individuals online who encouraged her to plan and commit murder. Investigators later determined that Rachel Wagner had purchased the firearm used in the killing at a pawn shop a month prior and allowed her daughter to keep the weapon and ammunition in her bedroom.</p><p>District Attorney Warren urged parents to monitor their children's online activities, stating, "I urge you to never underestimate the influence that exists behind your child’s screen. In the courtroom, I see the consequences after the messages and the online encouragement from strangers have already turned into real-world crimes." He emphasized the importance of knowing who influences children and what they are taught to believe is acceptable.</p><p>Lilyana Wagner will serve 30 years in prison before becoming eligible for parole.</p>