The very privileged past of movie theater madman revealed

Time:2024-05-29 04:25:57 Source:Worldly Wisdom news portal

A blond knifeman who went on a rampage across Massachusetts is believed to be the wealthy son of a successful mental health clinician, who lives in Martha's Vineyard.

Police began hunting for Jared Ravizza, 26, after four girls aged 9 to 17 were stabbed by a knifeman who was 'laughing the whole time' as he attacked them at an AMC multiplex in Braintree, at around 6pm on Saturday.

A 21-year-old woman and a 29-year-old man were stabbed an hour later 30 miles away at a McDonald's in Plymouth before police caught up with Ravizza when he crashed his Porsche in Sandwich.

Massachusetts Police sources told Boston25 Ravizza was also the man they were looking for after a body was found on Saturday afternoon at a holiday let in Deep River.

The former UMass student claimed to run a 'leading global digital marketing and social media management agency' with offices in Manhattan, Beverly Hills, Paris and Naples.

But friends from his former college lacrosse team told Dailymail.com they remembered him simply as 'odd'.

Ravizza boasts of ‘leading global digital marketing and social media management agency’ with offices in Manhattan, Beverly Hills, Paris and Naples

Ravizza boasts of 'leading global digital marketing and social media management agency' with offices in Manhattan, Beverly Hills, Paris and Naples

He was arrested after the girls, aged 9 to 17, were slashed at an AMC multiplex in Braintree, and a 21-year-old woman 29-year-old man were stabbed at a McDonald's in Plymouth

He was arrested after the girls, aged 9 to 17, were slashed at an AMC multiplex in Braintree, and a 21-year-old woman 29-year-old man were stabbed at a McDonald's in Plymouth

'He only went to school with us for a semester and then disappeared off the face of the earth,' said Jay Gallipo.

'He was a social media influencer person back then it was kind of a joke with us.

'Only person he was close to was his sister Kate, he was perfectly nice but kind of weird.'

Ravizza has lived on the island home to politicians and celebrities for three years and was often seen in the company of a man he introduced as his father, according to the Martha's Vineyard Times.

The family lives in a $565,000 home in the west Massachusetts town of Agawam where his father Jason Ravizza works as a licensed mental health counselor.

The University of Massachusetts, Amherst, graduate is a licensed school principal and has concentrated on work with young people 'paying attention to the whole person, helping unlock each person's full potential as a human being', according to a biography.

In December 2021 the younger Ravizza was profiled by the MV Times and claimed to be running a charitable organization called Ravizza Global Initiative.

He said his family had a long history of coming to the area, and vaguely explained the objectives of his initiative.

Ravizza has amassed 218,000 followers on his Instagram page which uses the pronoun 'she'

Ravizza has amassed 218,000 followers on his Instagram page which uses the pronoun 'she'

He describes himself as an 'artist, professional model, skier, and social entrepreneur'

He describes himself as an 'artist, professional model, skier, and social entrepreneur'

Ravizza with his father Jason, who holds a Masters in Education and is a licensed mental health counselor in the state of Massachusetts

Ravizza with his father Jason, who holds a Masters in Education and is a licensed mental health counselor in the state of Massachusetts  

'We spend a lot of time on the Vineyard, in Massachusetts, and I just want people to know the accessibility to me,' he said.

'I look at it as a movement and lifestyle, and an initiative we do to change people's lives, to inspire people. It's a lifelong connection, lifelong relationship, being there, being a mentor.'

Ravizza senior helps 'unlock each person¿s full potential as a human being¿, according to a biography

Ravizza senior helps 'unlock each person's full potential as a human being', according to a biography 

In the wake of his arrest the paper spoke to residents who recalled a series of 'bizarre and hostile interactions in public settings', including at a local yoga studio.

Ravizza successfully petitioned the local court in Dukes County last month to change his name from Jared Christian Ravizza Jones to Jared Love Jones.

Previously he had secured a series of glowing profiles on obscure news websites including the snowmag.com and beverlyhillsmagazine.com.

'Jared Ravizza is more than just a media mogul and a serial entrepreneur. He is an American professional model and skier,' one read.

'Most importantly, he is a family-oriented man who spends quality time kiteboarding, surfing, and playing the game of tennis with his family in his leisure time.'

Ravizza describes himself as an 'artist' on his Instagram page which has amassed 218,000 followers and where he uses the pronoun 'she'.

Posts from six years ago show a conventional-looking young man who attracted the occasional comment from friends.

The family live in a comfortable $565,000 home in Agawam, Massachusetts

The family live in a comfortable $565,000 home in Agawam, Massachusetts 

Instagram shots from six years ago show a relaxed young man in his comfortable surroundings

Instagram shots from six years ago show a relaxed young man in his comfortable surroundings

He had been accepted for a social sciences degree at UMass majoring in Health Professions

He had been accepted for a social sciences degree at UMass majoring in Health Professions

More recent shots are replete with alcohol and drug paraphernalia

More recent shots are replete with alcohol and drug paraphernalia  

Four years later he returned to the site with a muscle-bound new look, posing on beaches and with his artwork, driving a series of Porsche cars and showing off drug paraphernalia.

He is wearing lipstick and make-up in later posts, the most recent of which was uploaded just hours before the knife attacks.

The theatre in Braintree was nearly empty when the girls arrived for a screening of the children's movie 'IF' starring Ryan Reynolds.

The attacker entered without buying a ticket and said nothing as he launched his attack on the girls, wearing what an employee thought was wearing 'an oversized trench coat, sunglasses, and a long blonde wig'.

'They were the only four people in this movie theater,' said Lisa Dembowski, mother to two of the girls told WCVB 5.

'They had just sat down. They had just got their concessions.

I guess he came up behind them in the row — they were in the second row — and he came up behind them.

'My oldest was leaned over to get something. He got her in the back and then my other daughter in the top of the chest.

'Then, my last daughter across her arm — laughing the whole time — and then got their friend and then ran off.'

The girls were taken to Boston-area hospitals where they were treated for non-life-threatening injuries as police began hunting for the attacker who drove off in a black Porsche.

The young couple at the McDonald's also escaped with non-life-threatening injuries despite being attacked with a 10-inch knife.

Ravizza is thought to have spent a couple of weeks in the Deep River holiday let with a male companion, and neighbors heard arguments from the home.

Police found a dead body when they arrived at 3.36pm on Saturday after reports of a disturbance.

His social media pages feature him in a succession of high value cars including this Porsche

His social media pages feature him in a succession of high value cars including this Porsche 

He was taken to hospital for minor injuries after crashing his Porsche in a police chase

He was taken to hospital for minor injuries after crashing his Porsche in a police chase 

'Many many many police cars showed up and they barricaded, first looked like a little bit of an ambush down there,' neighbor Charlie Brashears told Boston25.

'They had both the cars backed up into two of my neighbors, and they were on the hoods, I don't know if they had guns or not but they were on the hoods, then eventually they just barricaded the area.

'It's hard to wrap your brain around it.'

Ravizza will appear at Plymouth District Court Tuesday arraigned on charges of assault with intent to murder and two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

Police in Connecticut have yet to announce charges in connection with the Dep River killing but are no longer looking for a suspect.

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