A California high school student accused of plotting a school shooting and researching police response times has been taken into custody.
EASTVALE, Calif. — Sebastian Villasenor was arraigned Wednesday on five counts of attempted homicide and one count of making criminal threats in connection with an alleged plot to attack Ontario Christian High School, officials said.
Villasenor, a resident of Eastvale, is accused of planning the attack on the high school, which is located in Ontario, about 46 miles northeast of Los Angeles, California, according to a statement from the San Bernardino County (CA) District Attorney’s Office.
On Feb. 10, Villasenor was taken into custody after one of his classmates reported that he had been exhibiting signs of a fixation on school shooting incidents and that he had access to firearms, Ontario police said in a news release Wednesday.
The Ontario Police Department’s prompt and thorough response, as well as the student’s courage to speak up, prevented a tragedy and saved lives, according to a San Bernardino County DA’s Office statement.
Student obsessed with police response times, says police chief
According to investigators, Villasenor had every intent to open fire at Ontario Christian High School, even though he had no criminal record.
According to Lorenz, the teen was “totally obsessed” with school shooting incidents and police response times, as well as researching tactical equipment and planning a date for the attack.
He was so concerned about our response time that he did a Google map of how long it would take us to respond to the school from Ontario Police Department, according to Lorenz.
Villasenor may have planned the attack around April 20, the anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting in Colorado in 1999 that killed 15 students and two teachers.
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During the search of Villasenor’s residence, Lorenz said police found “a large number of firearms,” including seven handguns, two rifles, a revolver, and a shotgun, along with more than a thousand rounds of ammunition.
While there is no evidence that Villasenor had a “hit list,” according to Lorenz, further investigation leads police to believe he targeted five students as his intended victims and had “considered” a sixth, based on interviews with students about his social life.
According to Lorenz, all the victims attended Ontario Christian High School. According to investigators, Villasenor did not engage in bullying or harassment, but he did have difficulty forming relationships and socializing with other students.
Villasenor is being held without bail at West Valley Detention Center, according to sheriff’s logs. He was arraigned on Thursday and entered a not guilty plea, the district attorney’s office said.
