When Andrew Graney’s mugshot first appeared in the news, many of his former and current classmates were shocked that the suspected I-40 shooter was someone they knew.

A classmate who identified himself to WRAL News as “Kevin” said he often saw Graney at movie nights with a mutual friend.

“I never would have guessed anything else would happen,” Kevin said. “Because maybe he wasn’t shy, but he seemed a little quiet.”

Graney was arrested early Friday morning and charged with multiple felonies after authorities said he opened fire on multiple vehicles and homes along the interstate and around southwest Raleigh.

In total, one person was injured and eight vehicles and two buildings were opened fire on. Police detained Graney on Thursday during a raid on his home near NC State’s Centennial Campus.

However, Kevin recalled receiving a worrying message from Graney in a group chat in 2023 after Graney stopped coming to movie nights, which he said indicated a decline in Graney’s mental health.

Kevin was so concerned that he filed a “CARES” report with North Carolina State University, where Graney was also a student.

According to the university, NC State Cares is a cross-campus program that supports students who are in crisis or are identified as exhibiting behavior that is alarming or concerning and whose behavior does not indicate a direct threat of harm to the NC State community.

Kevin wasn’t sure what happened when he filed the report, but said he last spoke to Graney in the summer.

While Kevin said the moment was alarming, he didn’t think it was indicative of what police accused Graney of doing.

Graney’s mother, Treka Graney, shared a similar sentiment when she spoke to WRAL News after her son’s arrest on Friday.

“It totally caught me off guard,” Treka Graney said in a phone interview with WRAL anchor/reporter Chris Lovingood. “This is totally out of character… he’s a sweet kid. Everyone loves him. He always stands up straight, he’s very polite. He always follows the rules.”

“I don’t know what would drive someone to do this,” Kevin said. “I hope he gets the help he needs and everyone affected recovers.”

WRAL News reached out to NC State Preventive Services and asked them if they received additional CARES reports regarding Graney and how they determined whether further intervention was necessary.