Two teenage girls spent months planning mass shooting in Riverside County, officials say

Two teenage girls were arrested on suspicion of planning a mass shooting at a Riverside County high school after investigators allegedly uncovered months of discussions about planning the attack, authorities say.

On Oct. 6, the FBI alerted the Corona Police Department about online conversations on social media regarding a threat against Corona High School, leading to the arrest of a 15-year-old girl, according to a department news release.

Detectives leading the alleged investigation searched homes and electronic devices as part of the investigation, according to the release.

Authorities later identified a second suspect, a 15-year-old girl who attended Norco High School, according to the release.

The two teens allegedly spent months researching school shootings and discussing how they could carry out an attack at Corona High School, according to the release. Discussions between the two men revealed that they had reportedly discussed how to obtain weapons, but had not yet done so.

No weapons were found during searches conducted as part of the investigation, police said.

The two teenagers are in custody on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder, the statement said. The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office is currently reviewing the case. The investigation is ongoing and is a coordination between the FBI, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office and the Corona-Norco Unified School District.

Police have not said why the girls allegedly planned the attack or whether any suspected targets at the school had been identified. The identities of the teens have not been made public.

FBI Director Kash Patel said in an FBI statement that “a potential act of targeted violence against a Southern California high school was stopped before anyone was harmed.”

“There is no greater priority than protecting our children, and threats to our schools will be fought with the full force of the FBI and our partners,” Patel wrote in the statement. “I want to thank the Corona Police Department and the men and women of the Los Angeles FBI for their outstanding work.