California school shooting plot foiled as FBI uncovers chilling social media threats by 2 teenage girls

CORONA, CALIFORNIA: A months-long investigation into suspicious online activity has led to the arrests of two 15-year-old girls accused of planning an attack on Corona High School in Southern California.

The case came to light when the FBI flagged social media communications to local police, prompting detectives to investigate a potential threat to the campus.

Authorities said their subsequent inquiries uncovered discussions allegedly linking the teenagers to preparations for a shooting, including attempts to figure out how they could get weapons.

Although investigators searched locations connected to the case, they reported finding no firearms. Both teenagers remain behind bars as authorities continue examining the allegations.

Authorities thwart another school shooting

The alleged plot came under scrutiny after federal investigators flagged troubling online activity on October 6 and shared the information with Corona police.

The messages were linked to a 15-year-old student at Corona High School, who was subsequently arrested as authorities began investigating the potential threat.

What initially appeared to involve one student led detectives to examine a wider network of communications.

Investigators obtained search warrants to examine electronic devices for digital evidence and communications and searched several properties in Riverside County.

Those efforts eventually led to a second teenager being identified in connection with the case: a 15-year-old student from Norco High School, who was also arrested. Police announced the second arrest on October 20.

Police said the evidence suggested the pair had spent several months researching school shootings and discussing a potential attack on Corona High School.

Their alleged conversations went beyond general threats, with investigators reporting that the teenagers had systematically studied past school shootings and discussed carrying out an attack of their own.

They had not settled on a specific date for the proposed attack, according to the findings described by authorities.

The messages also reportedly touched on obtaining weapons for the proposed shooting, although the teenagers had not managed to acquire any, police said.

Kash Patel confirms disrupted threat

FBI Director Kash Patel credited cooperation between federal agents and local police with preventing a suspected school attack in Southern California from progressing further.

“A potential act of targeted violence against a Southern California high school was disrupted before anyone was harmed,” Patel said in a statement.

The FBI's Los Angeles field office took up the investigation after the online exchanges came to light.

Agents worked alongside local officers to identify the people allegedly involved and assess the threat, Patel said.

He also issued a warning about how federal authorities would respond to similar incidents, emphasizing the protection of students as a priority.

“There is no greater priority than protecting our kids, and threats against our schools will be met with the full force of the FBI and our partners,” Patel added.

The school at the center of the investigation, Corona High School, educates more than 2,000 students in grades nine through 12.

The arrests came just days after a separate school shooting in Oregon left four people dead.

A 16-year-old suspect was identified in connection with the deadly attack at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon. The shooting added to concerns about school violence and threats involving young people.