4 students arrested for Calif. school shooting plot

Four northern California students have been arrested for plotting to carry out a shooting at a high school, authorities said.

“It’s particularly unsettling when our most precious assets – which are our students, their teachers – are targets for violence”, said Sheriff James Mele. The students were arrested after fellow students at Summerville High School became suspicious and alerted authorities Wednesday, the news service said. Detectives found that there was a fourth participant during the course of investigating the plot.

The sheriff noted that the suspects’ plan was very detailed in nature and included names of would-be victims, locations and the methods in which the plan was to be carried out.

The students, who attended Summerville High School in Tuolumne, California, were overheard discussing the plan at school last week.

Deputies said the suspects were in the process of obtaining the weapons they were going to use in the attack.

“At this time I want to reassure the community that there is no further threat to the students or staff”, said Mele.

The four students were arrested on conspiracy charges Friday at their homes. The school then contacted the sheriff’s office. “While it is easy to say that would never happen in Tuolumne County, the public and local law enforcement must remain vigilant as they did here”, Hovatter said.

Because the suspects are minors, their names will not be released, though the sheriff said they are all boys. “That the suspects are young does not minimize the gravity of the conduct nor the potential for great harm to many people”.