by Krystal Paco

Guam - "We never saw it coming," said Niel Romero. The 19-year-old remembers Chad Desoto for his large vocabulary, quirky but carefree personality, and talent for music, so when news dropped that his high school friend was behind last Tuesday's rampage in Tumon that left three Japanese tourists dead and 11 others injured, Romero says he was in disbelief.

"I was so shocked to hear the news because none of which I described Chad was him. He had no record of violence ever, he never got angry with any of us, and even when he was being teased he never got angry," he said.

Romero met Desoto at a party years ago. Later, Desoto landed the leading role in the 2011 John F. Kennedy High School student-produced full-length movie "I Heart GU," a project to raise funds for prom and graduation and co-directed by Romero.

A day after the Tumon incident, the cast and crewmembers showed up to Romero's work where they cried and coped together. "The Chad in the movie three years ago is a completely different man that he is now," said Romero. "We all got so close to Chad over those few years and it's just unbelievable for us when you work with someone like that and in one night changes on you becomes a murderer, it's so hard."

Among those injured last Tuesday and later discharged from the hospital with stab wounds was JFK graduate Kaylani Quichocho. "I believe that she was at the wrong place at the wrong time," Romero speculated. "Kaylani's a good friend of ours, she's even worked in a few of my productions. She was even an extra in the movie, and Chad is very good friends with her. Not only that, her other half plays a role in my movie - him and Chad were very close."

Romero believes Quichocho may have recognized Desoto and tried to stop him. "I saw a video clip of everyone starting to get closer to the car because they probably thought he was injured or something was wrong with him and after a while he got out of the car and started chasing all of them," he said.

Following "I Heart GU", Romero worked with Desoto in the production group Project Inspire shooting commercials. Romero speculates Desoto's parents divorce in 2009 may have hindered his ability to graduate on time. He also speculates his grandfather's death may have caused him to detach himself from close friends.

"He started to detach himself from people started to really just not pay attention to any of the work anymore and we were wondering if he was okay or not so after a while he didn't show up anymore," he said. "He wasn't working he wasn't going to school anymore. He didn't plan on going to college here so we didn't know what he was doing."

While results have yet to determine if Desoto was under the influence of drugs or alcohol the night of the rampage, Romero says he only remembers his friend taking prescribed anti-depressants to sleep at night. Despite rarely seeing one another over the last year, Romero says he and friends met Desoto the night before the tragedy where he hoped to sell sound and music equipment and leave the island.

"We were asking him Chad we want to make sure you're okay we'll help you out we'll get you the money but you're health and you is the most important thing right now," he said. "You're not going to do anything stupid are you? And he said "no man. This is strictly business, and that's what we left off on."

With a week to reflect, Romero understands the island community may be angry but asks they refrain from creating fake Facebook accounts and sharing harsh words on the Internet. "It's going to make moving on so much harder when all we need right now is healing," Romero said.