Riverside Police Department Press Release

Juvenile Arrested for Making Criminal Threats
 

Riverside, Ca-  On Thursday May 15, 2003 at approximately 7:00 PM an anonymous person sent a tip to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) “Internet Tip Service” located in Washington D.C. The information revealed a subject was posting messages in a chat room claiming he was going to shoot up a school. The FBI reviewed the postings and determined the messages referred to a school in the Riverside area. The FBI in Washington contacted the local FBI Office/Joint Terrorism Task Force in Riverside for assistance. The Riverside FBI Office immediately contacted the Riverside Police Department.

A Riverside Police Detective with the Economic Crime/Forensic Computer Unit immediately reviewed the chat room information provided by the FBI. The detective located the e-mail address of the subject posting the threats and identified a possible phone number and addresses at two locations in Riverside. The detective supplied the Criminal Intelligence Unit with the information.

Members of the Criminal Intelligence Unit initiated an investigation and conducted a threat assessment. Detectives located the subject and current residence. The subject, a male juvenile 15 years old was contacted, interviewed and subsequently arrested after he admitted to posting the threats in the chat room. The detectives recovered ten firearms including handguns, rifles, shotguns, ammunition and the subject’s computer. The juvenile was booked into Riverside County Juvenile Hall for making criminal threats. The investigation revealed the juvenile suspect had made preliminary plans to carry out the threats to use firearms on the Riverside Poly High School campus.

The Riverside Police Department was in contact with school administrators from Poly High School and the Riverside Unified School District. The district immediately took action to assist the police department with the investigation. The district advised that counseling would be made available to any student who feels the need for assistance.

It was only with the cooperation of the FBI, Riverside Police Department and the Riverside Unified School District that this investigation prevented a potential tragic event. The Riverside Police Department is continuing to investigate this incident but at this time it appears the juvenile suspect was acting alone and there are no other subjects wanted for questioning.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Riverside Police Detective Jim Brandt at (909) 320-8027.