WA Grandmother Reports School Shooting Threat, Grandson Arrested

EVERETT, WA - Police in Everett stopped a school shooting on Tuesday, arresting an 18-year-old who apparently flipped a coin to pick a school to attack. His arrest came just 24 hours before a school shooting in Parkland, Fla., that left 17 people dead.

The teen, a student at ACES High School, appeared in court Wednesday. A judge found probable cause to hold him in jail on charges of attempted murder and planning to conduct a school shooting.

According to court documents, the 18-year-old owned a semiautomatic rifle and was planning to attack either Kamiak High School or ACES, both of which are in the Mukilteo School District.

The teen's grandmother called police Tuesday morning to report the threats. Police went to the teen's house and saw detailed plans for an attack in his journal. The teen was later arrested on Tuesday at his school.

During the arrest, Everett police found the student in possession of a knife and marijuana. After obtaining a search warrant, police seized the journal, the student's rifle, and several inert grenades. Investigators also believe the 18-year-old is behind a gas station robbery in Everett Monday night, a crime that was allegedly detailed in the journal.

"My aim has gotten much more accurate," a journal entry read, according to court documents. "I can't wait to walk into that class and blow all those [expletive] away,"

Had the student succeeded, his crime would have been the third school shooting in Washington since December.

On Dec. 5, two students were shot outside Graham-Kapowsin High School, but did survive. On Jan. 4, bullets penetrated New Start High School in Seattle, but no one was injured. On Sept. 13, Caleb Sharpe, 15, brought an AR-15 to Freeman High School south of Spokane. Sophomore Sam Strahan died, and the others were shot and wounded.

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