16-year-old arrested; planned capturing with explosives at Berkeley High, police say

BERKELEY, Calif. - A 16-year-old boy was arrested after recruiting others to participate in a mass school shooting that would have included a bombing at Berkeley Excessive School, police say. 

The teenager was arrested Monday, when he turned himself in to police, Berkeley Police Department stated in a press launch. Monday was Memorial Day and there was no faculty that day. 

The boy was arrested on suspicion of possessing damaging device materials and threatening to commit a criminal offense which will end in dying or great bodily damage.

Police mentioned they obtained a tip on Saturday that the boy was recruiting others in plans of a shooting that included explosives. Following the tip, police obtained and executed a search warrant for a residence. 

Police did not say if the teen was a student at Berkeley Excessive School.

Upon executing the search warrant, police stated they found components to explosives and assault rifles, a number of knives, and digital gadgets that could be used to create further weapons. 

At that point, a warrant was obtained for the teenager's arrest. 

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"Faculty security remains a high precedence for the division," police stated in a press release. 

Details on whom the teenager was attempting to recruit weren't disclosed. Police mentioned this case remains under investigation. 

Berkeley Unified Supt. Brent Stephens advised the college's group that the district was in close contact with police throughout this investigation. 

After police confiscated the teen's weapon elements, the district relied on police experience to evaluate any potential ongoing threat to its colleges. The district communicated with police on the scholar's whereabouts. 

"As added precautions throughout this period, we alerted our administrative and safety staff about this investigation and, as is our standard follow, maintained close contact with our BPD School Resource Officer on the Berkeley Excessive School campus," Stephens wrote. "Throughout the investigation period, we were assured that this particular person did not pose an immediate risk to the Berkeley Excessive School group."

The district is conducting their own investigation on this matter. 

The district might pursue disciplinary action towards the coed. 

As well as, a city hall assembly titled: 'Methods to Speak to Children About Faculty Violence' provided by Alameda County Workplace of Schooling is scheduled for Wednesday at 6 p.m.