Teen Attempted To Recruit Others In Plan To Bomb And Shoot Up School
A California teen attempted to recruit classmates in a foiled plan to bomb and shoot up his high school campus.
The end of the school year is just around the corner for children across America. But what is typically a joyful time of year for students has been overshadowed following the deadly massacre inside Robb Elementary School less than 10 days ago. In the wake of this tragic event, an uptick in similar threats has been made to schools throughout the nation, furthering the stress and fear many students already were faced with. These threats have caused some districts to end the year abruptly. Just the other day, reports of a California teen rocked a Berkeley high school, as police now report that the student attempted to recruit classmates in his plan to bomb or open gunfire inside his school’s halls.
The New York Post reports that the 16-year-old California teen was recently arrested following a tip that he was attempting to enlist other students to help him in a sinister plan to wreak violence at his high school in Berkeley, California. The unidentified student surrendered himself to cops on Monday, May 30th. After authorities underwent a subsequent search of the boy’s home, police found disturbing material inside.
In a statement released this Wednesday by the Berkeley Police Department, authorities stated that they found parts of explosive devices used to make at-home bombs. Additionally, they discovered numerous assault rifles, knives that may have been intended for violent use, and other various electronic items that authorities believe may have been used to create more weapons. The California teen’s charges for arrest were based on suspicion that he may have used these possessions to commit a deadly crime.
These disturbing findings were first brought to the police’s attention on May 21st. Without releasing specific details on where the tip came from, they stated that they received information that the California teen was recruiting fellow classmates to join him in a mass shooting or possibly bombing the Berkeley High School. It remains unclear, however, exactly how many students the teenager had attempted to enlist in his pursuit.
While the police department and school district allegedly knew about this particular student since May 21st, the district did not make students and families aware of the situation until after the Wednesday press release. In issuing their own statement Wednesday, they noted that they had been in close contact at all times with authorities, and had likewise alerted school staff of the matter. Despite all this, many are confused and likely upset, as the announcement alleges that the district was assured that the California teen posed no “immediate threat” to the school, even during the time leading up to his arrest.
Berkeley High School will place additional counselors on campus for the remainder of the week. Police noted that the investigation was ongoing, and more information regarding the California teen and the violent threat may be made public at a later time. But none of this will likely make the students attending the school feel any better about the situation, as it is becoming a normal occurrence for many students throughout the country.
Even before 21 innocent lives were taken during the Uvalde, Texas school shooting days ago, accounts of gun violence in schools were poised to break records this school year. The instance with this California teen shows how concerning the matter is to many families, as the last two weeks have seen a vast increase in violent threats made to schools. As students are now set to leave the classrooms behind for the summer, many have an increased sense of doom heading into the next school year.
