Two teenage boys are in custody after allegedly planning to kill more than 100 people at Evergreen Middle School in Cottonwood.
The alleged attack was stopped thanks to another teen who reported suspicious behavior to law enforcement that he heard during an online video gaming session with one of the suspects.
Now, Tehama County Sheriff Dave Kain is praising the informant’s actions for stopping what could have been a catastrophic event.
“I hope the word gets out throughout our nation that these things can be averted. Somebody just has to say something,” Kain told NSPR after a press conference on Tuesday. “Law enforcement needs to believe what's said and follow through their protocols and make sure to investigate it thoroughly.”
For Kain, it’s personal. His son attends Evergreen Middle School, where the suspects planned to use an explosive device they created and tested.
“He did an amazing thing and our community will never forget.”- Dave Kain, Tehama County Sheriff
“I am so confident that this threat has been resolved, that my son, who is a student of this very school, had returned to his normal school day on Monday,” Kain said during the press conference.
Kain said it’s rare to see people report concerning behavior. The sheriff invited the Tennessee resident to Tehama County to receive a medal of valor and public acknowledgment in front of the board of supervisors.
“He did an amazing thing and our community will never forget,” Kain said.
The two suspects are 14 and 15 years old. They were arrested after expressing plans to coordinate deadly school violence while playing an online video game with the Tennessee resident.
During the gaming session, one suspect also sent photos of himself and his accomplice dressed as the shooters who carried out the 1998 attack on Columbine High School.
Officials say the suspects did not have a specific target but they did have a manifesto.
The suspects will appear in court today facing charges of making criminal threats, manufacturing destructive devices and possession of a destructive device.
