Teens planned Columbine-style mass shooting at middle school, Uvalde police says

UVALDE – The Uvalde Police Department arrested two male teenagers who police said planned a “mass casualty event” at Morales Junior High School in Uvalde.

Uvalde police officials said in a press release that two male juveniles, a 13-year-old and 14-year-old, were planning to conduct a school shooting during their senior year -- 2022 -- at Uvalde High School on the anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting.

However, one of them convinced the other to “move the attack up to this year.”

According to the press release, the students were infatuated with the Columbine school shooting, identified with the shooters, and even referred to themselves using the Columbine shooters’ names.

The Uvalde police received information on April 19, one day before the anniversary of the Columbine shooting, regarding the teens’ plan to attack the middle school that included targeting several individuals.

Uvalde police said the 14-year-old was a current student at the middle school and the 13-year-old was a former student.

Both teens were evaluated by mental health services and four days later, the 14-year-old was released into the mother’s custody, police said.

With the assistance of the Texas Rangers, authorities found one of the juveniles had “writings and drawing which depicted weapons capable of causing mass destruction.” The teen also wrote about being “God-like,” killing police and other people and had an academic analysis of one of the Columbine shooter’s journal.

UPD detectives and a Texas Ranger also discovered that the pair had conducted internet searches on tactics used by the Columbine shooters and read about how to make improvised explosive devices as recently as three weeks ago, the press release said.

According to the press release, the teens were planning on detonating the explosives at the start of their attack to begin killing first the students they listed at the middle school and then “kill as many students as possible.” Police said they ranked the student victims by priority.

On April 25, authorities obtained juvenile directives to take the students into custody, in which prosecutors charged them for conspiracy to commit murder. They have been placed in a juvenile detention facility in Del Rio, Texas.

According to the press release, the investigation also determined that the teens “identified a nearby neighbor's residence as a target for burglary where they intended to procure their weapons.”

Uvalde police said the investigation remains active and the Texas Ranger who is assisting them will continue to collect and analyze additional evidence.