Crime & Safety
2 RivCo Girls Arrested In School Shooting Terror Plot: Police
Two 15-year-old girls were arrested this week on suspicion of coordinating a school shooting in the Corona area, the police and FBI report.
CORONA, CA — A planned Corona High School attack was thwarted this week with the arrest of two Riverside County 15-year-old girls, authorities said Tuesday.
On Oct. 6, the FBI notified the Corona Police Department of a potential threat at Corona High School that originated on social media. The plan indicated a potential future attack at Corona High School, police said.
The following investigation led to the arrest of a 15-year-old female Corona High School student, police said. Detectives served search warrants for electronic devices and communications at several Riverside County residences and identified a second 15-year-old female, a Norco High School student, who was also arrested.
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"The evidence obtained showed the two suspects had spent several months researching school shootings and discussed how they could carry out a potential attack at Corona High School on an unspecified future date," according to a police statement.
"Communications showed the suspects discussed methods to obtain weapons but had not yet been able to do so. No weapons were located during the searches," police said.
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The two girls remained in custody for suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder while the Riverside County District Attorney's office reviews the case, police said. Their names were not released.
FBI Director Kash Patel praised investigators in a social media post Wednesday, crediting the FBI's Los Angeles office and Corona police with disrupting the alleged plot before anyone was harmed.
"Protecting our kids is NON-NEGOTIABLE," Patel wrote, adding that two people were in custody and the investigation remained ongoing.
Corona police said they worked with the FBI, Riverside County Sheriff's Office and Corona-Norco Unified School District in the investigation.
Anyone with information for the case was urged to contact Corona Police Department Detective George Edwards at 951-279-3656 or George.Edwards@CoronaCA.gov.
Patch Staffer Corey Washington contributed to this report.
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