California’s Berkeley High School had a 16-year-old student arrested after it was discovered the boy intended to recruit a team to shoot up the school. Source: Berkeley High School
Law enforcement arrested a 16-year-old boy in Berkeley, California on Monday after learning he was recruiting a “team” of students to shoot up a high school.
The news went largely unnoticed following three mass shootings in nearly as many weeks, leaving the best part of 40 people dead.
“On Saturday, May 21st, we received a tip that a 16-year-old boy had attempted to recruit other high school students to participate in a school shooting at Berkeley High School that included explosives,” Berkeley Police said in statement.
The police obtained and executed a search warrant on the boy’s home.
“When the patrol officers searched the teen’s residence, they discovered parts to explosives and assault rifles, several knives, and electronic items that could be used to create additional weapons,” the statement continued.
The suspect turned himself in without incident and was then arrested for possessing destructive device materials and threatening to commit a crime which will result in death or great bodily injury.
It is unclear how exactly the boy was attempting to recruit others to implement the plan.
The suspect has not been identified in the media, as he is a minor and protected by state laws on underage crime.
Teen arrested after recruiting others to participate in a school shooting/bombinghttps://t.co/Njy4N6jKxt
— Berkeley Police (@berkeleypolice) June 1, 2022
Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD) superintendent Brent Stephens thanked police and the people who reported the 16-year-old for their proactivity, especially in light of recent events.
“We want to thank the individuals who came forward to report this threat,” he said.
“Speaking up in this instance allowed for the police to intervene in advance of any harm occurring.
“We know this incident, as well as the shooting at Civic Center Park last week, may result in our students and staff feeling anxious and upset.”
