Student, dad arrested after San Diego school shooting threat; grenades, guns found in home
A California high school student and the teen's father − an employee for a technology company that works with the U.S. Department of Defense − have been arrested after police said the student threatened to carry out a shooting on the teen's school's campus.
The teen's 45-year-old father was booked into the San Diego County Jail Tuesday morning on charges including possession of a destructive device, possession of an assault weapon, manufacturing an assault weapon and manufacturing a short-barreled rifle, online records show.
The San Diego Police Department said it also found explosives, "ghost guns", and, per multiple reports, rocket-propelled grenades while conducting a search warrant at the family's home.
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'Verbal threats' of a school shooting
According to a news release from police, officers responded to Rancho Bernardo High School on Friday to investigate reports of a student making "verbal threats" about a school shooting there.
The school is roughly 20 miles north of downtown San Diego.
The same day officers responded to the school, the student, who lives a few blocks from the school, was arrested and transported to juvenile hall, police said.
The San Diego Police Department did not name the teen. USA TODAY is not naming the teen's father to protect the teen's identity. The teen's age was not immediately known.
Police said the teen's parents were contacted and a search warrant was obtained and served at the teen's home "to secure any firearms they may have access to."
During the raid, several "unserialized firearms commonly referred to as ghost guns," and other assault weapons were confiscated along with several destructive devices.
The San Diego Metro Arson Strike Team assisted police in confiscating the devices, the release continues.
The father’s arrest report was not available online in San Diego County Superior Court Wednesday morning.
Father is engineer for Innovative Defense Technologies
A LinkedIn account appearing to belong to the father shows he is as an employee at Innovative Defense Technologies, a software systems company that works with the U.S. Department of Defense.
“We are aware of the situation and are cooperating with authorities," a spokesperson for the company told USA TODAY.
According to its website, the information technology business is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, with additional offices in San Diego; Fall River, Massachusetts; and Mount Laurel, New Jersey.
"Founded in 2006, IDT designs best-in-class solutions that facilitate the rapid delivery of software-based warfare capabilities for the U.S. Department of Defense," its website reads.
Police will be on school campus this week
USA TODAY has reached out to the school district.
KSND-TV reported the school's principal, Hans Becker, released a statement to parents over the weekend informing them police would be on campus this week, "following up on their investigation."
"Late yesterday afternoon we were notified by students that they had witnessed another student showing concerning videos and making threatening statements against others and the school," reads the statement provided by the outlet. "Law enforcement was contacted immediately and launched an investigation yesterday evening. After deputies met with the student, they were taken into custody and all families of impacted students were notified. We want to assure you we will be working very closely with law enforcement and the city attorney’s office to address the matter appropriately, according to PUSD and police procedures. We appreciate our partners taking this very seriously."
"I want to commend the students who acted responsibly by reporting what they heard," the statement continues. "Please use this opportunity to remind your children, if they see something, say something.”
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Father set to be arraigned on felony charges
Jail records show the teen’s father was being held on $300,000 bond Wednesday.
It was not immediately known if the adult had obtained an attorney or whether the student remained in police custody.
Most juvenile court records are not public.
He is slated to appear in court Thursday to be arraigned on the felony charges.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.