When police arrested a 13-year-old boy in Washington state final week accused of constructing threats to kill, they discovered he had “everything ready to go to commit a mass shooting” – together with a trove of greater than 20 guns in his dwelling.
He was arrested after the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office obtained data Friday from an web watch group that reviews threatening on-line posts, Deputy Carly Cappetto informed NCS.
“After reviewing the suspect’s social media posts, it was warranted to immediately move forward with an arrest,” Cappetto mentioned. Authorities consider the boy had “school shooter ideations.”
When a SWAT group descended on the boy’s dwelling, positioned in a suburban space of Parkland, Washington, round 1 a.m. Saturday, they discovered a group of 23 firearms, a number of containers of ammunition, loaded magazines “with school shooter writings on them,” in addition to clothes and writings typical to a mass capturing state of affairs, Cappetto mentioned.
The arrest comes as college students across the United States settle into a brand new faculty yr and the persistent risk of gun violence that comes with it. Last month, two young children were killed and greater than a dozen individuals have been wounded in a capturing throughout Mass marking the primary week of courses at a Catholic faculty in Minneapolis, simply as a wave of energetic shooter hoaxes at greater than dozen universities strained regulation enforcement assets and stoked fears about carnage on faculty campuses.
Guns had no serial numbers and some appeared 3D printed
What investigators discovered in the boy’s bed room revealed what they describe as an obsession with previous faculty shooters. He “imitated similar behaviors, with photos and inscriptions spread throughout his room,” the sheriff’s workplace mentioned.
“It is unknown who or what the intended target was going to be, but it’s clear it was a matter of time before a tragic incident occurred,” the sheriff’s workplace mentioned.
Experts on the psychology of college shooters say one of the biggest red flags for future attackers is an unhealthy obsession with previous perpetrators.
Investigators are serving warrants on the digital units discovered in the house in hopes of getting “a clear idea on who/what he intended to hit,” Cappetto mentioned.
Some firearms have been mounted on the partitions, totally accessible, whereas others have been unfold across the dwelling, unsecured, the sheriff’s workplace mentioned.
Images launched by authorities of the firearms seized present rows of lengthy rifles and handguns, lined up one after the other. It’s unclear whether or not the guns have been bought legally, Cappetto mentioned, noting that many haven’t any serial numbers and are basically “untraceable.”
Some additionally seem like do-it-yourself from a 3D printer, Cappetto mentioned.
The boy, who’s detained at a juvenile detention middle in Tacoma, pleaded not responsible to 5 prices in juvenile court docket Monday, together with one rely of a risk to bomb or injure property and three counts of illegal possession of a firearm, NCS affiliate KOMO reported.
Outside the courtroom, his dad and mom informed KOMO the scenario is a misunderstanding. His mom advised his social media posts have been an try to “be cool” amongst friends, and his father mentioned he had no intention to hurt anybody, KOMO reported.
The boy has not been enrolled in faculty since 2021 when he was registered with the Franklin Pierce School District in Tacoma, the sheriff’s workplace mentioned.
“We have not received any specific threats toward individuals or schools in our community,” mentioned Joel Zylstra, the varsity district’s government director of strategic partnerships and communications, confirming the boy was a pupil in 2021.
Washington state law dictates guns have to be saved out of attain of kids.
The boy’s dad and mom had not been arrested as of Tuesday morning, although police nonetheless have to conduct many interviews with the adults who have been in the house, Cappetto mentioned.
The prosecutor will in the end determine whether or not the dad and mom can be charged with improper storage and safekeeping of firearms or different potential crimes, Cappetto famous.