California police have arrested a 17-year-old man who allegedly threatened to shoot at a school on social media.
The teenager, a student at Heritage High School in Menifi, California, about 75 miles east of Los Angeles, said he had posted on social media that he planned to shoot “school” and “children,” according to a statement from the Menifee Police Department.
The threats did not mention a specific school, police said.
In addition to threats of violence, allegations that the teenager harassed students and possessed a “ghost gun”, a privately produced firearm that cannot be traced, police said. Ghost weapons are usually created by assembling parts sold together as a set or separately to create a fully functional firearm.
Heritage High School is located in Menifi, California in an undated street view.
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Kits can often be purchased without inspection and do not have a serial number, making them available to people who are legally prohibited from buying firearms, including minors, according to the police department.
Detectives who had been ordered to search the teenager’s home met him as he was returning home shortly before 2pm on Sunday and found the firearm, according to police. Investigators are trying to find out how the teenager got the gun.
The unnamed suspect was brought to the Riverside County Juvenile Court on several charges, including making criminal threats, possessing brass knuckles and possessing unregistered firearms.
The Perris Union school district was immediately notified and assisted detectives in the investigation, police said.
“All threats, whether specific, implied or otherwise, that cause fear in our community will not be tolerated,” a statement from the police department said. “MPD is committed to using all available resources to ensure that we hold the person (s) accountable for such threats, accountable for their actions. These threats are devastating to our school sites and require many hours of law enforcement investigation. “
The school district did not immediately respond to ABC News’s request for comment.
Alice Poon and Jennifer Watts of ABC News contributed to this report.
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