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Police Arrest 13-Year-Old Male Who Had Access to a AR-15 and Map of School

Police in Los Angeles said Friday they arrested a 13-year-old boy who allegedly threatened to shoot students at his middle school and seized an assault-style rifle with a high-capacity magazine during a search of his house.

  • By Sherelle Black
  • November 25, 2019

A 13-year-old boy was arrested Friday after he allegedly threatened to shoot up his school, Animo Mae Jemison Charter Middle School in South Los Angeles.

Police were notified of the boy’s plan of a mass shooting after his classmates overheard him talking about it, according to police.

“In this case, the fact that people stepped forward and said what they had heard led us to be able to prevent a tragedy today,” Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said at a news conference Friday. “We have to have information to act.”

“The sheriff’s department acted on information provided by the school community about this incident,” Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Austin Beutner said in a statement Friday. “We all have a responsibility to keep students and all who work in our schools safe, and we are grateful to those who spoke up.”

When law enforcement searched the boy’s home they seized an AR-15—a weapon that has been used in many mass shootings— with a high-capacity magazine, reported The Washington Post.

Authorities also found a hand-drawn map of the middle school along with a list containing the names of students and staff members.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department also arrested a 19-year-old male family member and charged him with possession of an unregistered firearm and confiscated about 100 rounds of ammunition. 

Sheriff’s Sgt. Robert Boese told the Los Angeles Times the adult suspect will appear in court on Tuesday and likely face “a myriad of weapons-related charges.”

About the Author

Sherelle Black is a Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

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