Las Vegas, NV (KVVU) — A 15-year-old boy was arrested at Desert Oasis High School on Thursday after police said he was threatening to shoot up the school.
Now investigators say they were tipped off by a concerned parent in Arizona who overheard the boy’s plan on Skype.
“You don’t really think anything of it because nothing really happens at Desert Oasis,” said Marielena Floran, a student. “When there’s hard lockdowns they just keep you in the room. That’s it, and then everything blows over.”
Parents originally got a robotic phone call last week notifying them about the arrest, but most of them didn’t realize how serious it was. Police with the Clark County School District said a team that specializes in dealing with hazardous materials, like bombs and chemicals, gathered evidence from the boy’s house which proved that the threats were legitimate.
“I can’t imagine the panic,” shuddered Floran. “The fact that the guy had evidence — it’s actually scary.”
Captain Ken Young of the CCSD Police Department said the boy appeared to be acting alone and that investigators haven’t yet been able to determine a motive.
He said the department investigates a lot of rumors, especially because sometimes in situations like this they become true.
“This is in part thanks to a parent that was being nosy — thanks to a parent that was paying attention,” said Young. “Thanks to a parent that did not sit on the information.”
“Thank God for nosy parents, but I don’t normally thank them!” joked Miguel Campos, another student. “They’re annoying!”
