School security guard thwarts California student’s shooting plot

A security officer thwarted a possible school shooting in California after he overheard a student threaten to open fire in the building, The Associated Press reported Wednesday.

School district security officer Marino Chavez said that he heard a 17-year-old student at El Camino High School say he was going to “shoot up the school sometime in the next three weeks.” The school is located in Whittier, about 20 miles east of Los Angeles. 

The school then reported the teen to authorities, who found two assault rifles in his home, including one that was unregistered, according to the AP. 

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The student was arrested on suspicion of making criminal threats, and his brother, a 28-year-old Army veteran, was arrested on weapons charges related to the firearms. 

The California threat is one of several made at schools nationwide following last week’s mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., in which 17 people were killed.

Law enforcement officials warn of the potential for copycat incidents following mass shootings.

Students around the country have in recent days participated in protests against school shootings and gun violence, with many walking out of classrooms to do so.