Two 15-Year-Old Girls Arrested in California High School Massacre Plot

Two 15-year-old girls have been arrested in California on suspicion of conspiring to carry out a massacre at Corona High School. The arrests followed an investigation that began on October 6, when the FBI alerted local law enforcement to threatening social media communications targeting the school.

Investigators from the Corona Police Department and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office determined that the teenagers had spent several months researching past school shootings and discussing plans for an attack. The investigation involved executing search warrants, examining electronic devices and communications, and searching several homes across Riverside County.

The first suspect, a student at Corona High School, was arrested shortly after the FBI's alert. Further investigation led authorities to a second 15-year-old girl, who attends nearby Norco High School, and she was subsequently arrested. Both remain in custody on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder.

Authorities reported that while the girls discussed obtaining weapons, they had not acquired any firearms. No weapons were recovered during the searches.

The case has raised concerns about the role of online communications in identifying potential threats. However, investigators have not disclosed the alleged plot's motivations, whether specific victims were targeted, or the precise stage of their preparations. The intended date of the attack also remains unclear.

The investigation is ongoing, with collaboration between the FBI, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, the Corona-Norco Unified School District, and the Corona Police Department.

The profile of the suspects, both girls, is considered unusual in school shooting investigations. Data from the FBI indicates that female perpetrators are rare in active-shooter incidents between 2000 and 2019, accounting for 13 of 345 attackers.