Merced police arrest 16-year-old for alleged ‘Columbine-style’ school shooting threat
A 16-year old Merced boy was arrested for threatening to do a school shooting on Wednesday afternoon, according to police.
The suspect reportedly told people he was going to do a “Columbine-style” shooting, according to a press release.
The incident was originally reported to the UC Merced police. The investigation was turned over to Merced police after it was determined the teen lived in the city.
Detectives were serving a search warrant at the suspect’s residence when police learned he was at another location. They located him and took him into custody without incident.
State law prevents law enforcement from questioning juveniles without an attorney being present. As a result, the investigation remains ongoing as detectives attempt to identify a motive and schools that may have been targeted.
The juvenile was taken to the Iris Garret Juvenile Justice Correctional Complex and faces various charges, including making criminal threats.
Merced police are asking anyone with any information regarding this incident to contact Detective Christian Lupian at 209-388-7844 or by email at lupianc@cityofmerced.org.
This story was originally published December 7, 2022 at 5:43 PM.
