Arizona students arrested after making school threats, setting up GoFundMe page, police say
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Arizona police have arrested two Combs High School students after they allegedly threatened to shoot up their school. (Google Maps)
Two Arizona students who talked about shooting up their high school and even set up a GoFundMe account to help raise money to buy ammunition are now facing terrorism-related charges after being busted by police.
The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office said the students were reported to officials at Combs High School after another one overheard them talking about bringing a gun to the building.
Officers went to the Phoenix-area school on Friday to investigate and ended up arresting the two students, the Combs Unified School District said in a letter sent home to parents Monday.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“Our commitment is always to your child’s safety and because of this we investigate and report every comment, social media post, or rumor that is a threat to our schools or students,” the letter said.
A subsequent investigation into a 15-year-old student behind the alleged plot revealed that he had threatened to file off the serial number of a gun and bring it into the high school, the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement obtained by KSAZ.
Police said that student did not actually have any weapons, but the second had immediate access to them at his home.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Both were charged with conspiracy to commit terrorism and interference and disruption of an educational institution, ABC 15 reported. The letter did not say whether the students will return to the school or not.
GoFundMe told KSAZ that the campaign set up by the students didn’t raise a dime and it has since been removed from the platform, with the organizer banned as well.