12-year-old boy arrested for alleged plot to shoot students, staff



SILVERDALE, Wash. -- The alleged plot was uncovered Dec. 15, after a concerned adult called the FBI’s Seattle office after monitoring an online juvenile chat room and reading messages a boy posted about his plans.

The FBI notified the Kitsap County Sheriff's Office, and an investigation was initiated, the sheriff's office said Monday.

That same day, sheriff’s detectives traced the Internet protocol address of the chat string to a residence in east Bremerton, where they met with the suspect and one of his parents.

Detectives and a FBI special agent then contacted Ridgetop Junior High School administrators to advise them of the investigation.

The sheriff's office said a search of the student’s personal possessions by school officials turned up a hand-drawn floor plan, map of sections of the school as well as a handwritten 'hit list' and that he planned to use a gun.

That was enough to arrest the boy on a charge of harassment - threats to kill. He was booked into Kitsap County Youth Services Center and later released into the custody of his parents.

Sheriff's detectives said they don't believe that the student had the available means to implement and carry out his threats, the sheriff's office reported. But people here are just thankful that the adult alerted the authorities and the alleged plot was foiled.

Investigators say this is a textbook example of how to handle a case like this.

The adult did exactly what needed to be done and the FBI worked with Kitsap County investigators to swiftly get to the bottom of it and make an arrest.