ROCKFORD, Wash. (AP) – Authorities are searching for a thief who made off with the purse of a parent who rushed to check on her child following the school shooting this week in Washington state.
The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office said the thief has racked up more than $36,000 in fraudulent charges.
“Property crimes themselves are typically hard for victims to deal with, especially when identity theft and fraud are involved,” said Deputy Mark Gregory in a news release on Friday. “But the fact these criminals took advantage of such a tragic situation is particularly heinous.”
Authorities say the purse was stolen Wednesday morning as parents converged on Freeman High School in Rockford, where a gunman had opened fire, killing one student and injuring three others.
Fifteen-year-old Caleb Sharpe has been arrested in the shooting but has yet to make an appearance in juvenile court.