San Ramon police say a freshman student was planning to attack California High School in a way similar to the Columbine shooting. (KTVU)
A California freshman was busted for allegedly trying to plan a “Columbine 2.0” attack at his high school.
San Ramon police said the student at California High School -- who told them that he hated three of his intended targets -- wanted to carry out the attack in on April 20, 2021, exactly 22 years after the Columbine massacre in Colorado.
Authorities were tipped off to the plans after one of the student’s friends, whom he had tried to recruit to help him, went to a school resource officer, KTVU reported.
Police said the student wanted to use the same guns and bombs used in the 1999 attack and that the teen’s friend allegedly believed that he would be targeted too if he didn’t go along with it. The friend also said, according to police, that the student wanted to kill at least six people.
“The district considers this offense to be extremely serious and will take appropriate disciplinary consequences as per California Education Code,” the school's principal, Sarah Cranford, wrote in an email sent to parents.
“I want to commend our student for doing the right thing and reporting the information to an adult…The safety of our students, staff and parent community is our highest priority, and we take all threats seriously,” she added.
The teen was arrested last month and investigators uncovered -- during a search of his home – a tactical vest, a toy shotgun and handwritten notes, amongst other items, according to the East Bay Times.
Police told KTVU that there will be additional security at a graduation ceremony at the high school Friday because of the incident.
The hottest stories ripped from the headlines, from crime to courts, legal and scandal.
