Sheriff: Arrests made after details of planned shooting at Cottonwood middle school emerge
Investigators said details about the attack emerged from an online gaming conversation that a Tennessee resident had with one of the teenagers and was relayed to authorities. The resident became concerned when the teen started talking about school violence.
The teen talked 'about a having a manifesto and plan to target Evergreen Middle School in Cottonwood. The suspect also sent photographs of himself and an accomplice to the reporting party in the same attire and pose as the Columbine school shooters,' a Tehama County sheriff's news release said.
The two teens had planned to attack the school on May 9, but one of the teens backed out, the sheriff's office said.
The shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado on April 20, 1999, killed 12 students and one teacher. A USA TODAY story marking the 25th anniversary said, 'The massacre became a blueprint for dozens of copycats, led to major changes in school safety, and sparked an enduring legacy of activism as survivors push for better gun control and offer their support to the next generation of Americans affected by gun violence.'
Meanwhile, based on the information from the Tennessee resident, Tehama County authorities investigated the threats. They also received photographs and other evidence that was sent to the Tennessee resident.
Working with Evergreen school administrators, investigators alerted the school and identified the two teenagers.
On Sunday, investigators served search warrants on the teens' homes in the Bowman and Lake California areas. During the searches, investigators found evidence that backed the Tennessee resident's claims, the sheriff's office said. The news release does not say what evidence was found.
A 14-year-old and 15-year-old were arrested on suspicion of criminal threats, manufacturing destructive devices, possession of a destructive device and conspiracy to commit any felony, the sheriff's office said. They were booked into the Tehama County Juvenile Justice Center.
The sheriff's office did not release the names of the teenagers.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Sheriff: Teens arrested for plans to attack Tehama middle school
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