Two 15-year-old girls suspected of planning an attack at Corona High School were possibly motivated by revenge, authorities said.
The two students, one who attended Corona High School and another who attended Norco High School, were arrested this month amid a joint investigation between Corona police and the FBI after social-media communications raised red flags.
According to Corona police Lt. Robert Montanez, Meta — the parent company of Instagram —initially shared information with the FBI “regarding a potential threat based on what these two students were sharing with each other.”
“It does appear that revenge might have been a motive for this,” Montanez told reporters Wednesday. “Of course, I can’t speak to what was going on in these girls’ heads or why they felt that this was the steps that needed to be taken, but it does appear at this point that revenge might have been a factor.”
Montanez said that over the past few months, the girls “made pretty extensive plans about coordinating an attack” at Corona High School.
“That included maps of the campus, a list of targets, how to acquire weapons,” he said.
Montanez said it was unclear if the girls made any actual attempts to obtain weapons, but they were conducting research on California gun laws, ways of obtaining guns, age limits for purchasing weapons and alternate ways of getting them.
No weapons were discovered during searches of the suspects’ homes, and no weapons are believed to be outstanding, Corona police Sgt. Brandon Palaoro said Tuesday.
Corona-Norco Unified School District shared in a statement that they have been working closely with police since the initial threat on Oct. 6. Both students are “currently enrolled” at their respective schools, and the Norco High School student previously attended Corona High School. Neither student has been on campus since the investigation began, according to the district.
“We understand that hearing news like this can be unsettling for families, and we want our parents to know that the safety and well-being of our students and staff remain our highest priority,” the district shared in a statement. “CNUSD has established safety protocols, monitoring systems and strong partnerships with local law enforcement to help identify and respond to potential threats. These measures are part of our ongoing commitment to providing safe and supportive learning environments for every student.”