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\u2026<\/em><\/strong> had everything ready to go for a disaster<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>*Guns had no serial numbers, and some appeared 3D printed, Suspect pleads not guilty to five charges in a juvenile court <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n *Mother suggested social media posts an attempt to \u2018be cool\u2019 among peers, father claims son had no intention to harm anyone<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n *\u201cAfter reviewing the social media posts of the suspect, it was warranted to immediately move forward with an arrest. When a SWAT team descended on the boy\u2019s home, located in a suburban area of Parkland, Washington, around 1 a.m. Saturday, they found a collection of 23 firearms, several boxes of ammunition, loaded magazines with school shooter writings on them\u201d<\/span>-Sheriff Deputy Carly Cappetto<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n *BY TIMI BENSON\/CRIME & JUSTICE Correspondent, Washington DC<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n AT 13-years of age when his mates are already in school reading hard to pass their examination, a teenager, an American boy in Washington DC was busy mapping out a secret strategy to carry out a mass shooting. The prompt intervention of law enforcement operatives saved the awaiting carnage and disaster.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n When police arrested a 13-year-old boy in Washington state last week accused of making threats to kill, they found he had \u201ceverything ready to go to commit a mass shooting\u201d \u2013 including a trove of more than 20 guns in his home.<\/strong><\/p>\n He was arrested after the Pierce County Sheriff\u2019s Office received information Friday from an internet watch group that reports threatening online posts, Deputy Carly Cappetto said.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAfter reviewing the suspect\u2019s social media posts, it was warranted to immediately move forward with an arrest,\u201d Cappetto noted. Authorities believe the boy had \u201cschool shooter ideations.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n When a SWAT team descended on the boy\u2019s home, located in a suburban area of Parkland, Washington, around 1 a.m. Saturday, they found a collection of 23 firearms, several boxes of ammunition, loaded magazines \u201cwith school shooter writings on them,\u201d as well as clothing and writings typical to a mass shooting scenario, Cappetto said.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The arrest comes as students around the United States settle into a new school year and the persistent threat of gun violence that comes with it. Last month, two young children were killed, and more than a dozen people were wounded in a shooting during Mass marking the first week of classes at a Catholic school in Minneapolis, just as a wave of active shooter hoaxes at more than dozen universities strained law enforcement resources and stoked fears about carnage on school campuses.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>What investigators found in the boy\u2019s bedroom revealed what they describe as an obsession with past school shooters. He \u201cimitated similar behaviors, with photos and inscriptions spread throughout his room,\u201d the sheriff\u2019s office said.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>\u201cIt is unknown who or what the intended target was going to be, but it\u2019s clear it was a matter of time before a tragic incident occurred,\u201d the sheriff\u2019s office said.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>Experts on the psychology of school shooters say one of the biggest red flags for future attackers is an unhealthy obsession with past perpetrators.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>Investigators are serving warrants on the electronic devices found in the home in hopes of getting \u201ca clear idea on who\/what he intended to hit,\u201d Cappetto said.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>Some firearms were mounted on the walls, fully accessible, while others were spread around the home, unsecured, the sheriff\u2019s office said.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>Images released by authorities of the firearms seized show rows of long rifles and handguns, lined up one by one. It\u2019s unclear whether the guns were purchased legally, Cappetto said, noting that many have no serial numbers and are essentially \u201cuntraceable.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Some also appear to be homemade from a 3D printer, Cappetto said.<\/strong><\/p>\n Suspect pleaded not guilty to charges<\/strong><\/p>\n The boy, who is detained at a juvenile detention center in Tacoma, pleaded not guilty to five charges in juvenile court Monday, including one count of a threat to bomb or injured property and three counts of unlawful possession of a firearm.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>Outside the courtroom, his parents reportedly said the situation was a misunderstanding. His mother suggested his social media posts were an attempt to \u201cbe cool\u201d among peers, and his father said he had no intention to harm anyone.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>The boy has not been enrolled in school since 2021 when he was registered with the Franklin Pierce School District in Tacoma, the sheriff\u2019s office said.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>\u201cWe have not received any specific threats toward individuals or schools in our community,\u201d said Joel Zylstra, the school district\u2019s executive director of strategic partnerships and communications, confirming the boy was a student in 2021.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>Washington state law dictates guns must be stored out of reach of children.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>The boy\u2019s parents had not been arrested as of Tuesday morning, though police still need to conduct many interviews with the adults who were in the home, Cappetto said.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>The prosecutor will ultimately decide whether the parents will be charged with improper storage and safekeeping of firearms or other potential crimes, Cappetto noted.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>DONATE TO HELP BUILD A SPECIAL APPS FOR JOURNALISTS AGAINST LIVER ELEVATION & KIDNEY FAILURE:<\/strong><\/p>\n CERTAINLY, Good journalism costs a lot of money. Without doubt, only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government. We are ready to hold every corrupt government accountable to the citizens. To continually enjoy free access to the best investigative journalism in Nigeria, we are requesting of you to consider making a modest support to this noble endeavor.\u201d <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n By contributing to NAIJA STANDARD NEWSPAPER, you are helping to sustain a journalism of relevance and ensuring it remains free and available to all without fear or favor. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Your donation is voluntary \u2014 please decide how much and how often you want to give. For offline donation, email: letters@nigeriastandardnewspaper.com or call +2348037128048 (Nigeria) or +16825834890 (United States of America)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0![\"\"](\"https:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/American-Kid-one.jpg\")
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