Student, 18, Arrested After Police Say He Plotted Shooting at Southern California High School
Sebastian Villasenor was charged with five counts of attempted murder and one count of attempted criminal threats
Will Lester/The Orange County Register/AP
Ontario Christian High School Principal Benjamin DykhouseAn 18-year-old student was arrested after police claimed that he was planning to carry out an active shooter attack at a California high school.
The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office said in a press release that Sebastian Villasenor, 18, was arrested and charged with five counts of attempted murder and one count of attempted criminal threats.
"What we discovered through the course of our investigation revealed that Villasenor had every intention of carrying out a school shooting at the Ontario Christian High School,” Ontario Police Chief Michael Lorenz said in a news conference on Wednesday, per CBS News.
Lorenz said their investigation uncovered that Villasenor “was obsessed with school shootings,” especially the Columbine High School shooting in Colorado, which left 15 people dead. The chief said the teen had “researched tactical supplies” and “was in the process” of choosing a date to carry out the shooting, which they believed to be around Apr. 20, when Columbine occurred.
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He also noted that the high school student was "obsessed with police response time" and had Google-mapped how long it would take for police to respond to an event at the school.
After arresting Villasenor, Lorenz said police found weapons including seven rifles, two revolvers, one handgun and one shotgun at his home. He said they also “seized over a thousand rounds of ammunition.”
"We determined through various interviews that Villasenor had five intended victims and contemplated a sixth victim," Lorenz said, noting that all the potential victims were students at the high school.
As for Villasenor’s motive behind the shooting, Lorenz said that they found that the teen had not been “bullied or harassed,” but “had difficulties” forming relationships with other students and socializing with people. He added that police were “confident” there were no additional threats to students at the school.
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Lorenz also noted that they were able to make the arrest thanks to a “brave” student who had come forward to the school’s principal, Ben Dykhouse, about their concerns “that they and others could be harmed by Villasenor.” He said the principal in turn took the “concern seriously” and informed the police.
“The student who came forward and saw something and said something is a hero,” said Lorenz. “That student saved lives. He spared families from losing children and the community from being devastated from the senseless act of violence.”
Villasenor is scheduled to be arraigned on Feb. 15 at the Rancho Cucamonga Superior Courthouse.
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