Two teenage girls have been arrested on suspicion of planning a mass shooting at a Riverside County high school after investigators allegedly uncovered months of discussions about planning an attack, authorities said.
On Oct. 6, the FBI notified the Corona Police Department of online social media conversations about threats against Corona High School, which led to the arrest of a 15-year-old girl, according to a Corona Police Department news release.
Detectives investigating the alleged conspiracy searched the home and electronic devices as part of the investigation, according to the release.
Officials later identified the second suspect, a 15-year-old girl who attends Norco High School, according to the release.
The two teens allegedly spent months researching school shootings and discussing how to carry out the attack at Corona High School, according to a news release. Discussions between the two men indicated they allegedly discussed obtaining weapons but had not yet taken action.
Police said no weapons were found during the investigative search.
Two teenagers were taken into custody on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder, the news release said. The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office is reviewing the case. The FBI, Riverside County Sheriff’s Office and Corona-Norco Unified School District are coordinating the investigation, which remains ongoing.
Police did not specify why the girls allegedly planned the attack or whether there were any alleged targets at the school. The identities of the teens have not been released to the public.
“A potentially targeted act of violence against a Southern California high school was stopped before anyone was injured,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in an FBI statement.
“There is nothing more important than protecting our children, and the FBI and our partners are fully committed to responding to threats against our schools,” Patel wrote in the statement. “I want to thank the personnel of the Corona Police Department and the Los Angeles FBI for their outstanding work.