KHN – Two adolescent girls are in custody after reportedly threatening to plant pipe bombs in a Montgomery County, Texas, high school and open fire on pupils, according to authorities.
Spring Branch ISD police said Fox News that the two adolescent girls, aged 15 and 16, planned to place pipe bombs at Memorial High School before killing the pupils.
According to authorities, the 16-year-old girl attends the school and was discovered there approximately 30 minutes after the threat was made.
The threats were purportedly relayed on social media and were exceedingly precise, prompting authorities to feel the danger was serious.
Police also stated that the threat was in the planning phases. Neither student was identified, but the 16-year-old was charged with making a terroristic threat, a felony.
The FBI Houston office claimed credit for assisting in apprehending the two students before they could carry out their plan.
“FBI Houston received information yesterday that two underage teenagers from the Houston area were plotting a mass casualty attack at a local school,” the agency said in a statement. “Our Threat Mitigation Team immediately responded to help [Houston Police] and [the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office] identify and arrest them.”
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the situation and has stated that the youngsters attended separate high schools.
The sheriff’s office also stated that one of the suspects was in detention on unrelated charges, while the other was arrested in Harris County.
“The safety and security of our schools and communities remain our top priorities. We recognize the concerns that this scenario may have for children, parents, and faculty, and we are taking all necessary precautions,” the sheriff’s office stated. ”
Additional security measures have been implemented, and we continue to work closely with school officials and our law enforcement partners to ensure a safe environment.”
Reference: Pair of Texas teenagers threatened to place pipe bombs in high school and open fire: Police