LOS ANGELES, Calif. – A 13-year-old California boy is in custody and authorities believe they may have averted a school shooting Friday.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said deputies found a semi-automatic rifle, ammunition and a list of possible targets at the suspect’s home. That list included students and school staff members. Deputies also found a hand-drawn map of Animo Mae Jemison Charter Middle School.
The sheriff said deputies responded to the school Thursday after a call about a threat.
Sheriff Villanueva said they are taking this threat very seriously and he’s thankful to those who spoke up. “The students that the suspect made the threat to reported to the school administration and they, in turn, reported to us,” he explained. “So, again, we want to thank everyone involved because they all did the right thing. They took the information. When we say ‘see something, say something’ or hear something, they did exactly that. And because of that, we were able to prevent a possible tragedy today.”
The suspect is being held at a juvenile facility.
The sheriff said the rifle is not registered but it does have a serial number and they are trying to track down its origin.
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