SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – Berkeley police have arrested a 16-year-old boy for allegedly attempting to recruit other students to participate in a mass shooting or bombing at Berkeley High School.
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Police said a tip about the boy's alleged efforts led to his arrest on Monday.
He turned himself in.
Officers searched the suspect's home on May 22 and arranged for the city's Mobile Crisis Team to evaluate the boy. Parts used to build explosives, assault rifles, several knives and electronic items "that could be used to create additional weapons" were recovered at the home.
Authorities worked with staff at Berkeley High School and the Berkeley Unified School District during the investigation.
The suspect – who wasn't named in a news release – was arrested for possessing destructive device materials and threatening to commit a crime which will result in death or great bodily injury.
The case remains under investigation. Berkeley Superintendent Brent Stephens said in a release that the district is "committed to conducting their own separate investigation."
He added that the district was in constant communication with the police during the investigation, and also alerted their administrative and security staff.
"Throughout the investigation period, we were assured that this individual did not pose an immediate threat to the Berkeley High School community," Stephens said.
Counseling will be available at Berkeley High School and all BUSD K-12 schools on Thursday for anyone feeling "anxious or upset," he explained.
The boy's arrest comes just days after a mass shooting killed 19 students and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. Earlier this month, 10 people were killed in a racially-motivated mass shooting at a grocery store in Buffalo, N.Y.
"As the country continues to reel from a horrific school shooting, it was disturbing to hear a similar plot was being planned at Berkeley High School, which was ultimately foiled," Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin said in a statement. "I am thankful for the Berkeley Police Department for their thorough investigation and the students who spoke out to raise the alarm."
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