Latest news with #TehamaCountySheriff'sOffice
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Yahoo
How a 'Hero' Tennessee Gamer Stopped a Mass Shooting Allegedly Being Plotted in a California Town
Two teen boys caught allegedly planning a school shooting on an online gaming chatroom were arrested by authorities in Northern California A young gamer from Tennessee shared their disturbing alleged plans with local authorities Improvised explosive devices and firearms were allegedly found in both boys' homesA young gamer's quick thinking in an online chatroom thwarted an apparent school shooting plot 2,000 miles away. Two boys, 14 and 15, allegedly planned a school shooting at Evergreen Institute of Excellence in the Northern California town of Cottonwood, intending to kill up to 100 people, Tehama County Sheriff Dave Kain said at a Tuesday news conference. The two teens, who were not named due to their status as minors, allegedly intended to kill one of their parents before carrying out the attack. The co-conspirators allegedly wrote a manifesto, posed for photos wearing the same clothing as the perpetrators of the 1999 Columbine mass shooting and divulged their scheme in an online game's chat. "This was serious," Kain said at the Tuesday conference. "It would have changed our community as a whole." A Tennessee boy read the alleged would-be shooters' disturbing messages and took action. He called the Tehama County Sheriff's Office on the evening of May 9, providing them with the suspect's gamer tag and the contents of the chat. Kain said that the boy's sharp instincts could have saved lives. "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, possibly, our young people," the sheriff said. "Our investigators took that tip seriously since the beginning."Kain said investigators sent the photos of the two teens posed as the Columbine shooters — sent along with chat logs by the teen — to school administrators, who quickly identified the two teens. Improvised explosive devices, which investigators believed were made for the prospective attack, and firearms were found in the teens' homes when search warrants were executed, Kain said. The California duo had intended to carry out their attack on May 9, per the sheriff, but reversed course after one of them backed out of the plan. It is unclear what motivated the two boys — Kain said that one talked about being bullied when he was interviewed by investigators. Both boys were charged with suspicion of making criminal threats, possession of a destructive device, manufacturing a destructive device and conspiracy to commit a felony, Kain said. Investigators are also working with prosecutors and looking at a potential additional charge of conspiracy to commit mass murder. The teens appeared in court on Thursday, where they were denied bail, the Tehama County District Attorney's Office wrote in a statement. Kain said that the threat was isolated to the two minors in custody, but that sheriff officials had spoken with administrators about instating additional security measures at the school. The sheriff said that as a sign of confidence, his son returned to classes at the same middle school on Monday. Although the department did not provide any details about the quick-thinking Tennessee boy, Kain said that his parents had been invited to Tehama County to be recognized. Read the original article on People
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.
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
CBS News
30-04-2025
- CBS News
1 dead, 1 hurt in Northern California small plane crash
TEHAMA COUNTY – One person has died after a small plane crashed in Northern California on Tuesday, authorities say. The Tehama County Sheriff's Office says first responders were called to the scene off of Phyllis Road, southwest of the community of Cottonwood, late Tuesday afternoon. Two people were on board the plane – an Aeronca Champion 7EC – when it crashed, according to a statement from the FAA. The sheriff's office says the pilot of the plane died; the passenger was flown to the hospital in critical condition. It's unclear exactly what led up to the plane crash. Both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will be investigating.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Yahoo
Double fatality in I-5 crash in Corning
A Gerber man and a 13-year-old male juvenile of Corning both died in a single vehicle crash on Interstate 5 just south of Corning on Feb. 23. Driving under the influence of alcohol is suspected to be a factor in the deadly accident, according to the California Highway Patrol. Daniel Rodriguez Romero, 24, of Gerber and the juvenile were both killed in the crash that involved a 2001 Toyota Avalon, reported the Tehama County Sheriff's Office. The CHP Red Bluff office said the incident occurred around 12:21 a.m. on the freeway near Liberal Avenue, however, details of the crash are unavailable as it is still under investigation. A third person in the Avalon, Alexis Aguilar Jacinto, 18, of Red Bluff reportedly suffered major injuries and was transported to Enloe Medical Center in Chico for treatment. That person's condition has not been released. The CHP said no one in the vehicle was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash. Anyone with information concerning this incident is asked to contact the CHP Red Bluff office at 530-737-6746.
