16-Year-Old Arrested for Trying to Recruit Students for a Mass Shooting and Bombing

The teen was detained on suspicion of possessing destructive device materials and threatening to commit a crime that would result in death or serious bodily harm.

On Saturday, police claimed they received a tip that the boy was recruiting others for a shooting involving explosives. Police secured and executed a search warrant for his residence after receiving the information.

A warrant for the teen’s arrest was issued shortly after.

“School safety remains a high priority for the department,” police said.

According to police, it was not revealed who the teen was attempting to recruit. The crime is still being investigated.

During the investigation, Berkeley Unified Superintendent Brent Stephens notified the school’s community that the district was in close contact with the police.

Following the seizure of the teen’s weapon parts, the district enlisted the help of police to assess any potential ongoing threat to its schools.

“As added precautions during this period, we alerted our administrative and security staff about this investigation and, as is our standard practice, maintained close contact with our BPD School Resource Officer on the Berkeley High School campus,” Stephens wrote. “Throughout the investigation period, we were assured that this individual did not pose an immediate threat to the Berkeley High School community.”

The teen is expected to face disciplinary action from the district.