Berkeley, California – A 16-year-old teenage boy was arrested by Berkeley Police Monday after receiving a tip that the teen had been recruiting other students to participate in a mass school shooting and/or bombing at Berkeley High School.
The Berkeley Police Department received a tip on May 21 that the teen was attempting to recruit other high school students for the attack. The boy turned himself in on May 30, according to a statement by authorities. The suspect has not been identified because he is a minor.
Some members of the community are asking why it took nine days from the time police received the tip until the suspect was arrested, reports KTVU. Some teachers and students are also upset that they weren’t told sooner about the threat.
Byron White with Berkeley PD said his department didn’t have enough information to immediately make an arrest.
Before the teen’s arrest, officers who searched his residence found parts to explosives and assault rifles, several knives, and electronic items that could be used to create additional weapons for a school shooting or bombing. After searching the suspect’s home, investigators discovered he tried to buy a gun on campus, was searching the dark web, and had computer equipment that could possibly be used to complete construction of weapons with the parts the suspect already had in his possession. It was at that point that law enforcement had probable cause to make an arrest.
Berkeley PD worked with staff at Berkeley High School and with Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD) officials during the investigation.
“As the police investigation proceeded last week and culminated in an arrest yesterday, we have maintained very close contact with BPD,” said BUSD Superintendent Brent Stephens in a statement. “In particular, we relied on the expertise of BPD in their assessment of any ongoing risk to our school community after police confiscated what they describe as parts of weapons. We were also in steady communication with police about the whereabouts of this student. As added precautions during this period, we alerted our administrative and security staff about this investigation and, as is our standard practice, maintained close contact with our BPD School Resource Officer on the Berkeley High School campus.”
After the announcement about the teen’s arrest in the alleged school shooting and bombing plot, some Berkeley High School students decided not to attend the last day of school out of fear, reports KTVU.
