Two teenagers have been arrested for allegedly plotting “a mass casualty attack” at a high school in the Houston area, according to the FBI.
According to Spring Branch Independent School District police, evidence suggests that the suspects, both female, intended to place pipe bombs and shoot students at Memorial High School in the Houston suburb of Hedwig Village. There was no word on the motivation.
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, located just north of Houston, stated that it is “actively investigating a criminal case involving online threats made by two students.”
According to the office, one of them is a Willis High School student in that county who is in custody on unrelated charges. According to the office, the second is a Spring Branch ISD student who is being held in Harris County, which includes Houston.
Spring Branch ISD police told KHOU that one of the teens is 16 and the other is 15. Their names were not released because they are both minors.
The 16-year-old was charged with making terroristic threats. According to police, the plan, which was shared on social media, was so detailed that investigators believed it was credible.
It was unclear what charges the Willis High School student was facing.
According to a letter sent to Memorial High School students, families, and staff, Spring Branch ISD police arrested a student involved in a “potentially credible threat in the planning stages identified on social media.”
The sheriff’s office stated that they are “treating this matter with the utmost urgency and commitment, as threats of violence in our schools will not be tolerated.”
In response to the threats, officials have increased security measures and are collaborating closely with school administrators and law enforcement, according to the office.
