Authorities in Washington state say they may have prevented a potential tragedy after arresting a 13-year-old boy accused of plotting a school shooting. Police discovered 23 firearms — many of them homemade — and writings detailing “mass shooting scenarios” inside his Pierce County home.
According to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were alerted Friday afternoon after reports surfaced that the boy had been making threats to kill, expressing “school shooter ideations,” and claiming access to weapons.
Deputy Carly Cappetto said officers executed a search warrant early Saturday morning. What they found, she said, was “deeply disturbing.”
“We recovered 23 firearms, including several long guns with 3D-printed parts, along with loaded magazines, explosives materials, and writings glorifying previous school shootings,” Cappetto told ABC News.
Court documents reveal that several AR-style magazines had hand-written notes referencing infamous mass shootings, including Columbine and Uvalde. Investigators also seized “clothing and writings” that described a “typical mass shooting scenario.”
Police believe the boy “idolized previous mass shooters” based on recovered social media posts, some dating back to June. The posts reportedly showed him holding firearms and expressing fascination with high-profile attacks.
“The evidence points to an obsession with mass casualty events,” one law enforcement source said. “This was a close call.”
The teenager has been charged with attempted threat to bomb or injure a school, unlawful possession of a firearm, and unlawful possession of fireworks. He is scheduled to appear in court Monday.
Authorities confirmed the boy’s parents are not facing charges “at this time,” though they remain under investigation for how the teen obtained access to so many weapons.
The Franklin Pierce School District, where the boy last attended classes in 2021, issued a statement Saturday.
“We were notified by local law enforcement personnel that a young person in our community was arrested for allegedly planning a school shooting,” a district spokesperson said. “We continue to work with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office to ensure that this individual is not a threat to our schools or our community.”
The incident comes as school safety remains a flashpoint under President Donald Trump’s second administration, where national debates over gun laws have intensified. Democrats continue pushing for stricter regulations on 3D-printed firearms, warning of growing threats posed by homemade weapons falling into the hands of minors.
Gun control advocates say this case underscores the urgent need for action. “When a 13-year-old can build his own arsenal, we have a problem,” said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action. “Congress must act before another community is shattered.”
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We do not need more gun law. We need to enforce the ones we have and allow parents to punish their children when they go wrong as we where able to do before the government took our rights away. Parents should be charged with the very same things the child is when the child is allowed to get these weapons. This young person should be charged wit being a terrorist.
Yeah, glad someone sane was able to intervene in time. Kid likely a developing Democrat stoner… too young to be in charge of weapons cache…