A 17-year-old student was arrested for making shooting threats in Menifee. As seen on air on June 5, 2022.
A 17-year-old boy was arrested in Menifee after he allegedly threatened a school shooting on social media and was later found to be in possession of an unregistered firearm, police said Sunday.
Investigators said the threats were sent via social media and mentioned shooting up a "school" and “kids.”
Although the threats did not mention a specific school, the messages were ostensibly so concerning that others who saw them contacted police.
Authorities said the teen is a senior at Heritage High School in Menifee.
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"While there was no threat specific to Heritage High School, we wanted to be sure our school community was aware of this incident. Parents and guardians, please take the time to talk with your students about the appropriate use of social media. All threats of violence are taken seriously and we will continue to work diligently with our law enforcement partners to pursue any person of interest," Heritage High School said in a statement Sunday.
He was arrested Saturday after detectives served a search warrant at his home and allegedly found a "ghost gun" and a pair of brass knuckles in his possession.
It's unclear how the boy obtained the gun, which police said appeared to have been built from a kit. Guns built from such kits are sometimes called 80% guns because they are not fully assembled and are therefore able to bypass certain legal restrictions. Such weapons are available online and allow anyone to finish the assembly of a gun containing no serial number, and allows the buyer to get around a background check.
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The high school student, who was not publicly identified, was booked into Riverside County Juvenile Hall on suspicion of several charges, including making criminal threats, possession of brass knuckles and possession of an unregistered firearm.
