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Among the debris discovered by authorities in the wake of last week's rampage was Mitchell Johnson's hunter-education card. It was all part of fitting in. "Everybody at Westside knows how to shoot a gun," says seventh-grader Michelle Wagner. And of the gun lovers at school, few were as proficient and prominent as Andrew Golden. Despite his tender age, he had a reputation among his classmates for being "mean-spirited." Even though he was only 11 years old, Drew seemed to embody a toughness that Mitchell was looking for. On Royale Drive, where Golden's parents live in a one-story stone bungalow, neighbors had reluctantly grown used to the sight of Drew biking in military fatigues. "He was always wearing camo clothing and talking about hunting and shooting targets," says neighbor Debbie Wilson. Hunting gear isn't uncommon in Jonesboro, but some parents were nevertheless wary of Drew, who was known to horse around with a hunting knife strapped to his side. "I didn't allow my Jenna to play with him," says neighbor Lloyd Brooks. "He was too rowdy."
Santa gave Drew Golden a shotgun when he was six. The home video of Drew as a tot, rushing to the backyard shooting range, has been played again and again, serving as metaphor and explanation, the macho little-boy equivalent of the dolled-up kindergarten beauty queen. Frontiersboy Drew learned to bait hooks and scope out prey with his father and grandfather, developing a taste for the chili cooked up after a successful deer hunt. He had a keen eye, improving his marksmanship at a shooting range and his reflexes at the video consoles of Wal-Mart and the local bowling alley. "He played video games with guns," says his grandfather Doug Golden, standing off a dining room framed by deer antlers and a vast gun collection. "There's no limit to who can play those. You're shooting the enemy, or you're gonna get shot." Drew wasn't shy about defending himself: in third grade he pushed a girl who slapped him, and a year later took up karate for a time. He gave up the martial art when no other kids were interested in practicing with him.
His grandparents Doug and Jackie attest to a softer, kindlier side to Drew. He was a trumpet player in the school band. "He couldn't wait for concerts," says Doug. "He'd get a grin and look straight out to us and give a thumbs up." And many mornings Drew would get dropped off by his parents at their home to chat and sip hot chocolate while he waited for the bus. Just days before the incident at Westside Middle School, Jackie says he was on his best behavior, accompanying her to the hair salon and earning plaudits for his demeanor from the astonished stylists.
On Tuesday, March 24, Mitch and Drew skipped the school-bus ride and first period. Mitch had commandeered his stepfather's gray van, which contained food, camouflage netting, ammunition, hunting knives and survival gear. They drove to Andrew's parents' home and, unable to force his father's steel gun vault with a hammer and torch, stole a .38-cal. derringer, a .38-cal. snub-nose and a .357 Magnum that had been left unsecured. Then they drove to Andrew's grandfather's home and broke in through a basement door, using a crowbar. They took four handguns and three rifles, including Doug Golden's favorite, "deadly accurate" deer rifle.