A North Carolina university freshman was arrested with guns and ammunition in his dorm room after cops say he had studied mass shootings with plans to kill his roommate and himself if he didn’t get into a fraternity.
According to NBC News, the suspect, Paul A. Steber, a 19-year-old freshman at High Point University, was arrested Tuesday and charged with two felony counts of having a gun on campus and a charge of making threats of mass violence, the High Point Police Department said in a statement.
Thankfully, Steber was turned in by another student, and no one was hurt. The University released a statement assuring that there was no immediate threat to others on campus.
“This incident illustrates the importance of the public reporting suspicious activity to authorities,” the police issued statement said. “Information from the public is often the critical first step in preventing acts of mass violence.”
Assistant District Attorney Lori Wickline revealed in court that Steber had been watching videos to learn how to carry out a mass shooting.
“He told officers that he definitely had a plan, something that he had been thinking about since Christmas of last year,” she said.
Wickline said Steber didn’t appear to have any prior criminal history but admitted that he had bought the guns within the past week and planned to shoot himself and his roommate if Steber didn’t get into a fraternity and the roommate did.
Wickline said it wasn’t clear if he bought the guns legally.
The court set his bond on the firearms charges at $2 million.
