Less than a year before an accused 18-year-old gunman killed 10 people in a Buffalo mass shooting, he posted about murder and suicide, according to Broome County District Attorney Mike Korchak.

"A teacher responded to that, followed up with the defendant, trying to get clarification, and he indicated he was just joking and said, 'Lol,'" Korchak said.

The suspect made the comments during an online class in June of last year, just before graduation.

According to the district attorney, officials at the Susquehanna Valley School District, where the student attended, immediately contacted state police.

Troopers later responded at the alleged shooter’s home and transported him to a local hospital for an evaluation. He was checked out and released the next day.

"If someone was found dangerous when they go in for a mental health evaluation, they’re immediately committed and actually transported to a state hospital for a further evaluation. That did not happen in this case," said Korchak.

Korchak said the district followed the proper protocols in the case and claimed no direct threat was made to the school or any student. There was also no mention of firearms.

The former student was allowed to return to class, and attended his graduation.

"It is a major problem that young individuals get sucked into this hole with all the time they were spending at home during COVID. That’s no excuse. This individual is 18 years old. We can try to fix the system of mental health, we can try to fix bail and can get to fix a lot of things, but the one person who’s responsible for this is sitting in jail in Buffalo right now," said Korchak.

He said Red Flag laws wouldn’t have come into play in this case, as the individual at the time was not deemed a threat to himself or the community.

He has reached out to Erie County District Attorney John Flynn to offer assistance in the case, and expects to work with him in the coming weeks.