Latest news with #AshleyPardo
Toronto Sun
15-05-2025
- Toronto Sun
Mom charged after buying ammo for teen son obsessed with mass killings: Police
Published May 15, 2025 • 5 minute read Ashley Pardo. Photo by Screenshot / Bexar County Sheriff's Office A Texas woman was charged with buying ammunition and tactical gear for her 13-year-old son, who police and school officials feared could carry out mass violence at his middle school, authorities said Thursday. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. 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Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The boy, who had been suspended in April for allegedly researching mass shootings at school, was also arrested and charged with terrorism, San Antonio police said. The case may be the first in the United States in which a parent has faced serious charges before their child has committed violence, said Nick Suplina, senior vice president of law and policy at the gun-control organization Everytown for Gun Safety. Ashley Pardo, 33, was arrested Monday on a felony charge of aiding in the commission of terrorism. The 13-year-old, who was placed in a juvenile detention facility, was also charged with having an improvised explosive device, which police said they found at his house. The arrests came after the boy's grandmother found the ammunition and tipped off police Monday. The same morning, the boy showed up to school in camouflage and tactical-style clothing but then left campus. As police searched for him, authorities arrested Pardo. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Police then took the 13-year-old into custody on the belief he may have been 'planning some act of violence,' San Antonio Police Chief William McManus told reporters Thursday. He said it was unknown whether the boy was armed when he went to school Monday. No attorney was listed for Pardo in court records Thursday. An attempt to reach her by phone was unsuccessful. She was set to be released on bond but remained in custody pending administrative matters, McManus said. Prosecutors across the country have moved to hold parents responsible when their children commit mass killings, hoping it could move parents to restrict kids' access to their firearms. Last year, the parents of a school shooter in Michigan were sentenced to prison in cases that set a new legal precedent. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Pardo's case could also set a new example for the prosecution of parents as a tool for preventing violence. 'This one stands out for such utter disregard for warning signs that it begs for criminal charges to be brought, even if, thankfully, a major tragedy was avoided here,' Suplina said. The U.S. saw 30 mass killings in which four or more people died in 2024, according to a Washington Post count, and four have occurred so far this year. Pardo's arrest appeared to be the culmination of weeks of concern from authorities and school officials about her son's behaviour. In January, the boy drew a map of his school that concerned law enforcement and expressed to authorities a fascination with previous mass shooters, according to the affidavit filed in Pardo's arrest. In April, he was found to be researching the 2019 mass killings in Christchurch, New Zealand, on a school-issued computer and was suspended, after which he attempted suicide, the affidavit said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. He was sent to an alternative school until last week, when he returned to Jeremiah Rhodes Middle School. He had served the mandated time in the alternative center, police told reporters, and legally had to return to his school. A few days later, his grandmother reportedly found him hitting a bullet with a hammer, and he told her his mother had given him the ammunition, the affidavit said. RECOMEMNDED VIDEO His grandmother told authorities that Pardo had taken the boy to buy firearm magazines, tactical gear and army clothing. Pardo allegedly purchased the goods for him in exchange for his babysitting his younger siblings, the affidavit said. On Monday, the boy told his grandmother he was 'going to be famous' before going to school, and he made reference to white supremacist writings, according to authorities. The grandmother searched his bedroom and found loaded magazines, a homemade explosive device that had been labelled with the name of the New Zealand shooter, and a note written by the boy that listed shooters' names and the number of people they killed, the affidavit said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The grandmother contacted the police, who had previously been in touch with the family about the boy's behaviour. Police found 'very disturbing things' in the house where Pardo and her son lived, which were 'an indication to us that we needed to move very quickly,' McManus said. In charging Pardo, authorities said they believed she was 'facilitating' her son's 'desire to carry out his threats' and said she had 'expressed to the school her support' of her son's 'violent expressions.' 'She appeared to be dismissive and unconcerned with her son's behaviour,' McManus told reporters. Gun-control advocates have pushed for parents to be held responsible when children access their guns or they ignore warning signs displayed by their children – and last year, for the first time, two juries in the Michigan cases determined that a shooter's family could bear some fault for an attack. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Jennifer and James Crumbley, the parents of the Oxford High School shooter who killed four students in 2021, were each convicted on involuntary manslaughter charges and sentenced to prison in April 2024. Advocates said then that they hoped the convictions would make other gun-owning parents more careful about locking up their firearms. In September 2024, another father, Colin Gray, was indicted on the most severe charges yet filed against the parent of an alleged school shooter. Gray's son was charged with killing four people in a shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia. Gray was later charged with second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter and cruelty to children for allegedly allowing his son to possess an AR-15-style rifle. He has pleaded not guilty. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In another ongoing case, Jeffrey Rupnow, the father of a Wisconsin teen who killed two people at a private school, has been charged for allowing his daughter to access weapons. He was released on a $20,000 bond this week, court records show, and has not entered a plea. Gun-control groups have also pushed for websites to restrict content related to mass shooters that they say can radicalize young people and lead them to become fascinated with violence. Last year, a report by Everytown and Moonshot, a group focused on online threats, found that content glorifying mass shootings is easily accessible on sites such as YouTube and Reddit, and that the content may play a role in radicalizing young people who become interested in attackers and killings. Suplina, of Everytown, recommended parents monitor their children's online activity and ensure they don't have access to weapons. McManus, the police chief, also urged the public to report concerns to law enforcement, saying speaking up can prevent violence. 'Most attackers show warning signs – obsessive interest in past violence, graphic fantasies, weapons stockpiling or violent writings. These signs must be reported,' he said. 'That's exactly what happened on Monday. A family member spoke up, and within hours, law enforcement responded.'
New York Times
15-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Texas Woman Bought Guns for Son Who Was Planning School Shooting, Police Say
A woman in Texas has been charged with aiding in the commission of terrorism after she purchased guns and tactical gear for her 13-year-old son who had repeatedly expressed interest in committing a school shooting, according to the San Antonio police and court documents. Ashley Pardo, 33, who was arrested on Monday, was 'not concerned' with her son's behavior, the police said, and purchased the weapons for the boy as a reward for babysitting his younger siblings. On Monday, the boy went to Jeremiah Rhodes Middle School in San Antonio after telling his grandmother that he was 'going to be famous,' according to an arrest affidavit. He left after briefly appearing at the school. The boy was later detained off campus, according to a letter to families from the school's principal, Felismina Martinez, that was posted on Facebook. The boy faces terrorism and weapons charges, the police said. The San Antonio police chief, William McManus, said the charges against the boy and his mother were based on 'the simple fact that the young man was apparently planning some act of violence based on the things that we found out he was doing, and the mother was assisting him.' He said at a news conference on Thursday that Ms. Pardo appeared to be 'unconcerned' with her son's behavior. It was the first time the authorities have charged someone in Bexar County, where San Antonio is the county seat, with terrorism since the charge was created under a 2023 state law, Chief McManus said. A lawyer for Ms. Pardo could not be reached on Thursday. The boy, who was not named in court documents, began exhibiting concerning behavior in January, according to the affidavit. School officials found a hand-drawn map of the school, labeled a 'suicide route,' with a rifle illustrated on the paper, the documents say, and the child told officials that he was fascinated with past mass shooters. In April, the boy was suspended after using a school-issued computer to research the mass shooting at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, that killed more than 50 people in 2019, according to the affidavit. The gunman in New Zealand had expressed extreme far-right and white supremacist views. On the day he was suspended, the boy attempted to take his own life with a straight razor, significantly injuring himself and requiring dozens of stitches, the affidavit said. After he was briefly placed in an alternative school, he returned early this month to Jeremiah Rhodes Middle School, according to the affidavit. Not long after, the boy's grandmother contacted the police after he told her that his mother, Ms. Pardo, had taken him to a surplus store and bought him guns, ammunition and tactical gear. The grandmother had also discovered a homemade explosive device in the boy's room as well as gun magazines loaded with ammunition, according to the affidavit. According to police documents, the explosive device had the name of the gunman who committed the Christchurch shooting written on it, in addition to white supremacist symbols and references. On Monday, the boy arrived briefly at school wearing a mask, tactical pants and a camouflage jacket, the affidavit said. According to Ms. Pardo's arrest documents, she had been informed of her son's drawings and violent ideations, but was 'dismissive' with law enforcement, child protective services and school officials. Ms. Pardo was in custody on Thursday morning ahead of her release on $75,000 bond. She is due back in court in San Antonio on July 17.
CNN
15-05-2025
- CNN
A mom is accused of buying ammunition and tactical gear for her son, despite repeated warnings about violent plans at school
Warning signs that a San Antonio middle school student had deadly intentions had been building for months, police say. They took on a new urgency Sunday when his grandmother walked into his bedroom. There, she found rifle and pistol magazines 'loaded with live ammunition' and a homemade explosive, according to a court document. The following morning, while the boy's mother took him to school, the grandmother called the police. The mother, Ashley Pardo, 33, was arrested Monday and charged with aiding in the commission of terrorism. Authorities allege she provided her son with ammunition and tactical gear as payment for babysitting his younger siblings. Pardo bought the materials despite being aware of her son's obsession with violence, according to a Bexar County arrest affidavit obtained by CNN affiliate KSAT. The affidavit alleges that Pardo 'intentionally and knowingly aided' her son. 'Her behavior is not only dangerous, it's abhorrent, especially as a parent,' San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said in a news conference Thursday. 'The Defendant expressed to the school her support of (her son's) violent expressions and drawings and does not feel concerned for his behavior,' the affidavit says, with notes from the child allegedly indicating an interest in mass shooters and White supremacist symbols. The alleged plot placed people at his school 'in further fear of serious bodily injury,' an investigator wrote. The boy went to school May 12 'wearing a mask, camouflage jacket and tactical pants,' then left shortly afterwards, according to the affidavit. When authorities couldn't locate him, school officials feared he might return to carry out an attack, the affidavit says. Extra security was put in place, including deploying additional police officers and sweeping the campus for potential devices, authorities said. The student was later detained off-campus and charged with a crime, Jeremiah Rhodes Middle School said in a Monday letter to parents. 'Please know we take all potential threats seriously and act immediately to protect everyone in our care,' the school's principal said in the letter. 'We will always remain vigilant to ensure our learning and working environment is safe and secure. Student safety is a top priority at SAISD schools, and we want to keep families informed of situations as soon as we are able.' Court records for juvenile cases are not publicly available, and the child's name has not been released. The student remained in juvenile custody Thursday afternoon, McManus said. No one was hurt in this case, but the threat of deadly violence is a reality that hangs over US schools every day. As of the beginning of May, there have been 18 school shootings in the US this year, including on college campuses, resulting in six deaths. Texas, the nation's second most populous state, has had the most school shootings, with at least 63 since 2008. That includes the Robb Elementary School massacre in Uvalde, about 80 miles from San Antonio, where an 18-year-old former student killed 21 people in 2022 before being fatally shot by law enforcement. In recent years, authorities have shown more willingness to hold parents criminally accountable for the violent actions of children if they ignored warnings and helped obtain weapons. The parents of Michigan school shooter Ethan Crumbley were convicted of manslaughter last year for buying the weapon used in the shooting and failing to secure it, despite concerns about Crumbley's mental health. They are not eligible for parole until 2031. The father of a 14-year-old suspect in Georgia is facing second-degree murder charges for alleged 'criminal negligence' in a school shooting last year, killing four people. Colin Gray and his son Colt have both entered not guilty pleas in the case, which is set to go to trial later this year. San Antonio parents this week expressed concern that the boy whose mother was arrested had been allowed back to the school despite earlier warning signs. 'I would have hoped they would have done something else with that and not let him back,' Rena Chase told CNN affiliate KSAT. 'He doesn't need to be anywhere near a school, period.' Pardo's 'refusal to see (her son's) concerning behavior and her assistance in gathering items for him that have been found to have been used in other acts of mass targeted violence, it is believed she is facilitating the (boy's) desire to carry out his threats,' authorities said in the affidavit. Pardo's bond was set at $75,000, and she was released from Bexar County Jail Tuesday after posting bail, county records show. Magistrate Marilisa Janssen ordered Pardo to be confined to her home with GPS monitoring and prohibited her from possessing firearms or incendiary devices. Her next court appearance is set for July 17. She has requested a court-appointed attorney. CNN has reached out to Pardo and the public defender's office for comment. The student's grandmother told police that Pardo had recently bought him tactical gear, including magazines, a tactical vest capable of concealing ballistic plates, a tactical helmet and army clothing, according to the court document. The incendiary device, described as a 'mortar-style firework,' had 'For Brenton Tarrant' written on it, police said. Tarrant is a White supremacist who shot and killed 51 people at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2019. Authorities also noted that the device included the phrase '14 words' and 'SS' symbols, all associated with White supremacist ideology. The boy's grandmother also found a handwritten note with what appeared to be the names of mass shooters and the number of victims from each shooting, the affidavit said. On Monday morning, before going to school, he told her he was 'going to be famous' and referenced '14 words,' she told police. This was not the first time school officials had been concerned with the boy's behavior. In January, school staff found concerning drawings from the student that included a map labeled 'suicide route,' the school's name written with a rifle, and several timestamps, according to the affidavit. When questioned, the student 'described a fascination with past mass shooters, including their manifestos,' the affidavit said. About a month ago, the boy was suspended for using a school-issued computer to research the New Zealand mosque shootings, according to the affidavit. Later that day, police say he tried to kill himself with a straight razor, resulting in injuries that required over 100 stitches. The student attended an alternative school in April, according to the affidavit. When he returned to Rhodes Middle School in May, officials implemented a security plan due to ongoing concerns about potential targeted violence, the affidavit states. Despite the concerns raised by the student's previous behavior, police said they had no choice but to let him return to Rhodes after his time at the alternative school was finished. 'Unless it poses an immediate threat, we have to follow the rules that govern that student being allowed to be on campus, but they are monitored, and they are closely watched,' San Antonio Independent School District Police Chief Johnny Reyes Jr. said. He had been spending time at his grandmother's home 'due to his behavior and threats toward a local school,' the document says, but he did not live there. 'It has been expressed to the Defendant the concerns of her child's expression and desire to commit acts of mass violence,' the affidavit said about Pardo. CNN has reached out to the school and the San Antonio Independent School District for comment. 'Both the juvenile and his mother will have their day in court,' McManus said. Editor's note: If you or someone you know needs help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 800-273-8255. You can also reach a crisis counselor by messaging the Crisis Text Line at 741741. Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated when the student's grandmother found ammunition in his bedroom. It was Sunday.
Sunday World
15-05-2025
- Sunday World
Texas mother accused of buying firearms for son who planned school shooting
She previously told the boys' school she was not worried about his behaviour – which included researching a mass shooting on a campus computer A mother in Texas has been accused of buying firearms for her son, who had allegedly planned to carry out a mass school shooting. Ashley Pardo (33) was arrested on Monday and charged with aiding in the commission of terrorism. It came after her mother, the boy's grandmother, contacted police after she found him 'hitting a live bullet with a hammer.' He told her he got the ammunition from his mother, who he said had "guns and ammunition at her house.' Bexar County Sheriff's Office - Ashley Pardo News in 90 Seconds - May 15th It's alleged Pardo purchased ammunition and tactical gear for her son, who, according to police, 'demonstrated plans for a mass targeted violence.' The school said that the boy arrived wearing a camouflage jacket, mask and tactical pants, but left shortly after. A letter sent to parents from the school said that the boy was "detained off-campus and is being charged with terrorism." The grandmother told cops that her daughter had purchased her son magazines, a tactical black vest "capable of concealing ballistic plates," a tactical black helmet and various pieces of army clothing. Just before Pardo picked up her son to bring him to school, he told his grandmother he was 'going to be famous.' When she searched his bedroom, she found magazines loaded with 'live rifle ammunition and pistol magazines loaded with live ammunition.' She also discovered an "improvised explosive device", described as a mortar-style firework wrapped in tape. It also had the name of a mass shooter etched on it, along with multiple references to white supremacy. His grandmother also found a handwritten dossier of previous mass shootings detailing the perpetrators and their number of victims. According to an arrest affidavit, the boy intended to carry out his plans at a middle school in San Antonio. In January, her son was first contacted by officials about drawings of his school The images included a map of the school, labelled a 'suicide route' with the name of the school written next to a drawing of a rifle. The boy told cops he had a "fascination with past mass shooters' and in April he researched the 2019 Christchurch shooting in New Zealand on a school computer. He was suspended, and later in the day, inflicted serious injuries on himself, which required more than 100 stitches. According to the affidavit, Pardo was aware of threats her son made and told the school she was not concerned about his behaviour, she also expressed support for his "violent expressions and drawings.' Cops alleged that she was buying the gear and ammunition for her son in return for him babysitting his younger siblings. She was released on $75,000 bail on Tuesday and will be back in court on July 17th for a hearing.
BBC News
15-05-2025
- BBC News
Texas mother accused of helping son plan school shooting
A Texas mother has been arrested for allegedly buying ammunition and tactical gear for her son who she knew was planning "mass targeted violence" at his school, officials say Ashley Pardo, 33, was aware of her son's obsession with violence, and "intentionally and knowingly aided" his violent goals in exchange for him babysitting his younger Monday, the student showed up to Jeremiah Rhodes Middle School in San Antonio "wearing a mask, camouflage jacket and tactical pants but left shortly after", police said. He was later detained mother was arrested the same day after the boy's grandmother called police to say Ms Pardo had bought the gun for him. On Saturday, the boy's grandmother walked into his bedroom to find him playing with live ammunition and a hammer, according to a police also found a homemade explosive made from a firework, on which the boy had written the name of an Australian man who attacked a mosque in New Zealand in grandmother reportedly told police that Ms Pardo had taken him to a military surplus store to purchase tactical gear, including ammunition magazines, a tactical vest and a helmet. Police said that the student, who has not been named, told his grandmother on Monday that he was "going to be famous" before leaving for school. The boy showed up at school "wearing a mask, camouflage jacket and tactical pants", but left shortly after, authorities said. Investigators and school officials did not know where the student was for a period of time, the court document states."The student was detained off-campus and charged with terrorism," the school said in a note to parents. The note added that he had been investigated for "some posts the student made online".Prosecutors say that in January, school officials discovered a map he had drawn of Jeremiah Rhodes Middle School labelled "suicide route". The student then reportedly told officials that he had a "fascination with past mass shooters, including their manifestos".In April, he was suspended for using a school computer to research previous mass shooting attacks. After time attending an alternative school, he returned to his middle school on 8 May. Officials said Ms Pardo was aware of the threats made by her son."The Defendant expressed to the school her support of (her son's) violent expressions and drawings and does not feel concerned for his behavior," the court document says about Ms was charged with one count of aiding in commission of terrorism, court records show. She was released from custody on Tuesday after posting a $75,000 (£56,000) bail, and is due to return to court on 17 July. US police have been increasingly moving to hold parents accountable for their childrens' violence. Last year, the parents of a Michigan school shooter were convicted of manslaughter for purchasing a gun for their son as his mental health declined. In Georgia, the father of a 14-year-old is facing charges of murder, manslaughter and child cruelty - the most severe charges against a parent over a US school shooting.
