Latest news with #EvergreenMiddleSchool
Newsweek
15-05-2025
- Newsweek
'Hero' Teen Gamer Thwarts 'Mass Casualty' Attack on California School
File photo of a young man gaming, taken at the Comic Con festival, in Moscow, Russia, 2019. File photo of a young man gaming, taken at the Comic Con festival, in Moscow, Russia, 2019. Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A "hero" gamer seemingly thwarted a plan to carry out a school attack intended to kill more than 100 people. The Tennessee resident called the Tehama County Sheriff's Office on May 9 to report that a teenager they had been playing online games with was speaking about school violence. When officers investigated, they found that a 14-year-old and a 15-year-old had built and tested two improvised explosive devices as part of their plans to attack Evergreen Middle School in Cottonwood, California, Tehama County Sheriff Dave Kain said at a press conference on Tuesday. "The suspects were hopeful to amass a casualty count in excess of 100 individuals," Kain said. Both teenagers were arrested for criminal threats, possession of a destructive device, manufacturing a destructive device and conspiracy to commit a felony. They were booked into Tehama County Juvenile Justice Center. Kain said: "In the end, I'd like to celebrate this young man—this particular young man out of Tennessee—this young hero, and focus the attention of this event on what it deserves to be: that this young man had the courage and heroic instincts to call our agency and notify us in order to mitigate any possible threat to our citizens, and particularly our young people. "I think this is a good case of where it's evident—if you see something, say something. And in this case, it worked." More to follow.
CBS News
13-05-2025
- CBS News
Tehama County teens arrested for school threats after tip from Tennessee
COTTONWOOD – A call from a concerned person in Tennessee led to the arrest of two teenagers in California, authorities say. The Tehama County Sheriff's Office says, back on May 9, deputies started investigating a call they received from a Tennessee resident. The caller claimed that a person they were gaming with online had allegedly made some concerning statements about school violence. Not only did the suspect allegedly talk about having a manifesto, the sheriff's office says the caller reported that the gamer allegedly talked about planning to target Evergreen Middle School in Cottonwood. Further, the suspect allegedly showed the caller photographs of himself and another person posing as the Columbine school shooters. An attack was allegedly planned on May 9, but one of the suspects apparently backed out. Deputies alerted the school and were quickly able to identify both of the suspects as Tehama County teenagers. Both of the suspects were then served search warrants at their Bowman and Lake homes on May 11. Detectives noted that evidence found during the searches substantiated the claims made by the Tennessee caller. The suspects, who are 14 and 15 years old, were arrested and booked into juvenile hall. They're facing charges of criminal threats, manufacturing destructive devices, possession of a destructive device, and conspiracy.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Yahoo
Sheriff: Arrests made after details of planned shooting at Cottonwood middle school emerge
Two teenagers were arrested Sunday after an investigation revealed they were planning an attack on a Cottonwood middle school, the Tehama County Sheriff's Office said. 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
