Maricopa County Sheriff detectives were called to the about 20 miles West of Phoenix after a student made threats to shoot two to three people at the school.
Several students reported to school staff that a 14-year-old student claimed he had access to guns at home and that he had two to three people in mind to shoot on campus. The suspect also asked a student “do you want to hide a body with me?” When questioned by staff, the student admitted that he gets pleasure from seeing other people hurt or scared, and that it makes him feel better.
“These situations continue to happen across the nation” said Sheriff Arpaio, “and we must take every threat seriously.”
Mountain View Elementary suspended the student immediately following knowledge of the comments.
The suspect and his family cooperated with deputies and during the investigation the teenage suspect admitted to Sheriff’s detectives that he made the threats. Deputies confirmed that the student had access to weapons at home that were not locked up. The student’s father agreed to remove the firearms from the home.
During the investigation, Sheriff’s detectives reached out to the Crisis Response Network who is able to provide more adequate help for the teen.
As the investigation continues, Sheriff’s detectives are looking into possible charges.