Authorities in the city of Everett, Washington have arrested an 18-year-old after a tip off from his grandmother led them to believe he was planning to shoot his classmates.

Police said that on Tuesday 13 February a grandmother in Everett called 911 because she believed her grandson was planning on shooting students at ACES high school in the city.

Officers attended the grandmother's house, the city's police department said, where they were shown excerpts from the teenager's journal.

The journal so alarmed the officers that the high school was contacted to alert them to the threat that the teenager might pose.

Police said that the journal detailed plans to shoot students and use homemade explosive devices at the facility, they were also said to be alarmed by statements made in the journal.

The grandmother had also reported that her grandson had a rifle which was stored in a guitar case. The grandson was arrested at the school.

Police said that on his person during the arrest officers found marijuana and a knife. Authorities said that he was booked into Snohomish County Jail on probable cause for attempted murder "due to planning and taking substantial steps toward executing a school shooting."

Major Crimes Unit detectives served a search warrant at the grandmother's house to seize the journal, rifle and military style inert grenades, along with other evidence.

America continues to discuss gun culture and control in the country after a shooting at a Florida high school killed at least 17 people. Broward County Sheriff's Office said in a report that 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz had confessed to the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Cruz's attorney told reporters that he was remorseful and is aware of what is going on but that he's a "broken human being". </s> EVERETT, Wash. -- Authorities in Washington arrested an 18-year-old man on Tuesday who was said to be planning an attack on a school. The alleged plan was foiled by his grandmother.

Joshua O'Connor may have been the next school gunman. But then his grandmother, Cathi O'Connor, called 911.

"I'm finding journal entries from my grandson," Cathi told 911 dispatchers. "He's planning on having a mass shooting at one of the high schools."

Cathi called police when she discovered a note in her grandson's journal that read in part: "I'm preparing myself for a school shooting. I can't wait. My aim has gotten much more accurate."

"It couldn't have been an easy thing for her to do, but boy, it was sure the right thing for her to do," said Andy Muntz of the Mukilteo School District.

Joshua Alexander O'Connor KIRO

Court documents say the 18-year-old had a semi-automatic rifle hidden in a guitar case, bomb making equipment and "detailed plans to shoot people at Aces High School" where he was a student.

"I need to get the biggest fatality number I possibly can," O'Connor wrote.

Authorities say the rifle matches one used Monday to rob a convenience store, and that O'Connor wrote in his journal "about how powerful he felt and how scared the female cashier was at him pointing his gun at her."

Prosecutors believe the robbery was meant to raise money for more material for the attack his grandmother prevented. </s> A grandmother in Washington state is being credited with reporting her own grandson for planning a school shooting. The teen was arrested the same day as a former student killed 17 people in a shooting at a Florida school.

ABC News obtained a 911 call from a grandmother alerting police that her grandson, who was arrested Wednesday, was in the advanced stages of plotting a shooting at his high school.

“What I’m reporting is I’m finding journal entries from my grandson,” Catherine O’Connor told the operator. “And he’s planning on having a mass shooting at one of the high schools.”

O’Connor’s 18-year-old grandson, who has not been identified by police, was a student at Aces Alternative High School in Everett, Washington.

“I need to make this shooting/bombing ... infamous," the student wrote, according to the court documents. "I need to get the biggest fatality number I possibly can. I need to make this count. ... I'm learning from past shooters/bombers mistakes, so I don't make the same ones."

The grandmother called police when she discovered her grandson’s journal as well as a semi-automatic rifle stored in a guitar case in her home, according to court records.

Another journal entry stated, "I'm preparing myself for the school shooting. I can't wait. My aim has gotten much more accurate. ... I can't wait to walk into that class and blow all those (expletive) away."

His journal also had excerpts about making pressure cooker bombs.

The teen had considered targeting more than one high school, according to one of his journal entries. Everett police arrested the grandson at ACES High School on Wednesday. KOMO reported he was in possession of marijuana and a knife at the time of his arrest, and was booked for third-degree assault on an officer for kicking him during his arrest.

He is being held on $5 million bail at Snohomish County Jail. Police are still investigating the teen for attempted murder based on his journals.

“There's a lot of kids who could have lost their lives,” O’Connor’s neighbor Julie Primachik told KOMO. “I think it’s a hero-like thing to do.” </s> One day before 17-year-old Nikolas Cruz walked into Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida and killed 17 people, an 18-year-old student in Everett, Washington was arrested after his grandmother found plans for a school shooting in his journal. According to the Seattle Times, the grandmother called 911 and relayed what authorities later described as “upcoming and credible threats” to ACES High School. The teenager was subsequently “arrested on investigation of attempted murder.”

According to the journal in question, excerpts of which were released to the Times and other press outlets, the suspect’s rationale and planning are as meticulous as they are horrifying:

“I’m preparing myself for the school shooting. I can’t wait. My aim has gotten much more accurate…” the teen allegedly wrote in his journal. “I’ve been thinking a lot… I need to make this shooting/bombing at Kamiak [High School] infamous. I need to get the biggest fatality number I possibly can. I need to make this count. I’ve been reviewing many mass shootings/bombings (and attempted bombings. I’m learning from past shooters/bombers mistakes, so I don’t make the same ones.”

The suspect also wrote about how he couldn’t decide whether to target his former high school, Kamiak, or his current one, ACES. He apparently settled on ACES since it “won… a coin toss.” Aside from the journal, investigators also found evidence of weapons stockpiling in the teenager’s home, as well as indications that he had been involved in a recent armed robbery at a local convenience store.

Mukilteo School District spokesperson Andy Muntz told the paper, “We are really grateful to the grandmother. It couldn’t have been easy for her to do.” Adding that neither the grandmother nor the teenager had been (or would be) named, Muntz said, “It speaks to the importance of the saying, ‘if you hear something or see something, call authorities,’ and that’s what she did. It’s quite possible she saved many lives including her grandson’s.” </s> WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A 17-year-old in Plano, Texas, has been arrested for allegedly plotting a mass shooting attack inspired by the Islamic State at a local shopping mall, law enforcement agencies said on Wednesday.

The FBI and local police said high school student Matin Azizi-Yarand had planned the attack for mid-May and had sought to recruit others to participate in the shooting. Authorities also said he had drafted a "Message to America" justifying his planned attack. He is currently in custody and bond has been set for $3 million. </s> GREAT MILLS, Md. — A teenager wounded a girl and a boy inside his Maryland high school Tuesday before an armed school resource officer was able to intervene, and each of them fired one more round as the shooter was fatally wounded, a sheriff said.

St. Mary’s County Sheriff Tim Cameron said the student with the handgun was declared dead at a hospital, and the other two students were in critical condition. He said the officer was not harmed.

Cameron said authorities were still investigating whether the shooter was killed by the officer.

“When the shooting took place, our school resource officer, who was stationed inside the school, was alerted to the event and the shots being fired. He pursued the shooter and engaged the shooter, during which that engagement he fired a round at the shooter,” Cameron said.

“Simultaneously the shooter fired a round as well. So, in the hours to come, in the days to come, through a detailed investigation, we will be able to determine if our SRO’s round struck the shooter.”

This latest shooting comes as lawmakers nationwide are under pressure to take action against gun violence following the Valentine’s Day killings of 17 people at a Florida high school by a teenager with an assault weapon. Maryland’s Senate joined the House Monday night to ban bump stocks, which enable a semi-automatic rifle to mimic a fully automatic weapon.

Outside the school, a line of about 20 school buses formed on the street in front of the building. Ambulances, fire trucks and other emergency vehicles crowded the parking lot and the street. No students or parents could be seen outside at midmorning.

The St. Mary’s County Public Schools said the situation was “contained” after the shooting at Great Mills High School, which has about 1,600 students and is near the Patuxent River Naval Air Station, about 65 miles (104 kilometers) southeast of Washington.

Agents with the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives joined deputies at the scene. The county sheriff said parents or guardians should stay away, urging them to go instead to Leonardtown High School to reunite with Great Mills students there.

Many students across the country are calling for effective gun controls, leading up to Saturday’s March For Our Lives rally in the nation’s capital against gun violence in schools. Threats against schools have proliferated as well, and Great Mills High has not been immune.

Just last month, the school’s principal, Jake Heibel, told parents in a letter posted on the local news site The Bay Net that two students were interviewed after they were overheard mentioning a school shooting, and they were found to pose no threat. Heibel said the school increased its security nevertheless after social media posts about a possible school shooting “circulated quite extensively.”

Also last month, St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s office said it arrested two teenage boys for “Threats of Mass Violence” and a 39-year-old man on related charges after the teens made threats about a potential school shooting at Leonardtown High School, a high school about 10 miles from Great Mills. Police said they obtained a search warrant that led to them finding semi-automatic rifles, handguns and other weapons, along with ammunition.

on was “contained” as deputies and federal agents converged on the crime scene.

St. Mary’s County Sheriff spokeswoman Cpl. Julie Yingling said three people hurt, including the shooter. She didn’t know the extent of their injuries, but said all three were taken to hospitals and none were killed.

The Baltimore Sun reported that a student said the shooting happened around 8 a.m. Terrence Rhames, 18, told the Sun that he heard a gunshot and saw a girl fall as he ran for an exit. “I just thank god I’m safe,” Rhames said. “I just want to know who did it and who got injured.”

The St. Mary’s County Public Schools said the situation was “contained” after the shooting at Great Mills High School, which has about 1,600 students and is near the Patuxent River Naval Air Station, about 65 miles (104 kilometers) southeast of Washington.

Agents with the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives joined deputies at the scene. The county sheriff said parents or guardians should stay away, urging them to go instead to Leonardtown High School to reunite with Great Mills students there.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and Rep. Steny Hoyer tweeted that they’re monitoring reports and urged people to follow the instructions of local law enforcement at the scene.

This latest shooting happened as many students are calling for action against gun violence in schools, leading up to Saturday’s March For Our Lives rally in the nation’s capital. Protests have been spreading around the nation since a teenager with an assault rifle killed 17 people at a Florida high school on Valentine’s Day. Threats against schools have proliferated as well.

Last month, the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s office said it arrested two teenage boys for “Threats of Mass Violence” and a 39-year-old man on related charges after the teens made threats about a potential school shooting at nearby Leonardtown High. Police said they obtained search warrants and found a cache of semi-automatic rifles, handguns and other weapons.

This is a developing story. Check back for details. </s> GREAT MILLS, Md. -- A teenager wounded a girl and a boy inside his Maryland high school Tuesday before an armed school resource officer was able to intervene, and each of them fired one more round as the shooter was fatally wounded, a sheriff said.

St. Mary's County Sheriff Tim Cameron said the student with the handgun was declared dead at a hospital, and the other two students were in critical condition. He said the officer was not harmed.

Cameron said authorities were still investigating whether the shooter was killed by the officer.

"When the shooting took place, our school resource officer, who was stationed inside the school, was alerted to the event and the shots being fired. He pursued the shooter and engaged the shooter, during which that engagement he fired a round at the shooter," Cameron said.

"Simultaneously the shooter fired a round as well. So, in the hours to come, in the days to come, through a detailed investigation, we will be able to determine if our SRO's round struck the shooter."

This latest shooting comes as lawmakers nationwide are under pressure to take action against gun violence following the Valentine's Day killings of 17 people at a Florida high school by a teenager with an assault weapon. Maryland's Senate joined the House Monday night to ban bump stocks, which enable a semi-automatic rifle to mimic a fully automatic weapon.

Outside the school, a line of about 20 school buses formed on the street in front of the building. Ambulances, fire trucks and other emergency vehicles crowded the parking lot and the street. No students or parents could be seen outside at midmorning.

The St. Mary's County Public Schools said the situation was "contained" after the shooting at Great Mills High School, which has about 1,600 students and is near the Patuxent River Naval Air Station, about 65 miles (104 kilometres) southeast of Washington.

Agents with the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives joined deputies at the scene. The county sheriff said parents or guardians should stay away, urging them to go instead to Leonardtown High School to reunite with Great Mills students there.

Many students across the country are calling for effective gun controls, leading up to Saturday's March For Our Lives rally in the nation's capital against gun violence in schools. Threats against schools have proliferated as well, and Great Mills High has not been immune.

Just last month, the school's principal, Jake Heibel, told parents in a letter posted on the local news site The Bay Net that two students were interviewed after they were overheard mentioning a school shooting, and they were found to pose no threat. Heibel said the school increased its security nevertheless after social media posts about a possible school shooting "circulated quite extensively."

Also last month, St. Mary's County Sheriff's office said it arrested two teenage boys for "Threats of Mass Violence" and a 39-year-old man on related charges after the teens made threats about a potential school shooting at Leonardtown High School, a high school about 10 miles from Great Mills. Police said they obtained a search warrant that led to them finding semi-automatic rifles, handguns and other weapons, along with ammunition. </s> PLANO, Texas (AP) — A suburban Dallas teenager accused of planning a mass shooting at a mall inspired by the Islamic State terror group has been charged with terrorism.

The Collin County district attorney’s office says 17-year-old Matin Azizi-Yarand of Plano had planned to release a “Message to America” explaining his reasons for the attack.

Authorities say he spent more than $1,400 buying weapons and tactical gear, and had been trying to recruit others to help him in the shooting planned for this month.

Azizi-Yarand is charged with criminal solicitation of capital murder and making a terroristic threat.

He is being held Wednesday at the Collin County jail on a $3 million bond. Online jail records don’t indicate that he has an attorney.

He faces life in prison on the criminal solicitation charge alone.

Follow @WJZ on Twitter and like WJZ-TV | CBS Baltimore on Facebook </s> Nikolas Cruz's mug shot might be a testament to the banality of evil.

Cruz, 19, is accused of killing 17 and wounding at least 16 on Wednesday at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Broward County. In his booking photo he appears slightly agitated, slightly defiant, slightly tired; but mostly, his expression is blank.

Does he look like a mass shooter? Well, what does a mass shooter look like?

Cruz, alleged to have committed the nation's worst school shooting since Sandy Hook, was a troubled young man. He'd been expelled from Douglas High School. On Wednesday, he appeared to seek his revenge.

And he apparently knew just what tool to use.

MORE: USA Today: Why the AR-15 keeps appearing at America's deadliest mass shootings

Cruz's weapon of choice was an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, according to investigators. And despite his history of behavioral issues, despite his apparent obsession with guns, he was nonetheless able to legally acquire the weapon, and use it for the same purpose so many other troubled young men have.

Indeed, these guns, commonly called "assault rifles," have been used in some of the nation's worst mass shootings, including Las Vegas, Sandy Hook and Columbine. And each time these weapons make the headlines, a rising chorus calls for a ban.

In the past, we've resisted joining that parade. We've called, instead, for a ban on the high-capacity magazines, reasoning that smaller magazines would force shooters to stop and reload more often, potentially saving lives.

But while Cruz reportedly had "countless" magazines, none of them appear to have been high-capacity models.

For this reason and others, after this tragedy close to home, we've begun to think restricting the size of magazines isn't enough.

Maybe it is time to consider a ban on new purchases of semi-automatic rifles.

To be sure, they are rarely the weapon of choice for mass shooters. Mother Jones Magazine maintains an online database of U.S. mass shootings since 1982; of the 98 incidents listed, only 24 — one in four — involved a semi-automatic rifle. The most commonly used weapon, by far, is the semi-automatic handgun.

Yet "assault" rifles were used in four of six of the most recent mass shootings, including the horrific murder of 58 people in Las Vegas last October. And as one expert told USA TODAY, some mass shooters make a point of choosing the AR-15 "because of the reputation is has gotten from being used in other mass shootings."

It's got cachet, in other words, specifically because it's good at killing a lot of people in a relatively short period of time — the very task for which it was designed.

As we've said in the past, it's difficult to understand why any American needs to own one of these modified weapons of war. Yet at least 8 million AR-15s have been sold; the National Rifle Association calls the weapon the "most popular rifle in America." The Sig Sauer MCX and other semi-automatic rifles also are in the homes of millions.

We're not suggesting legally acquired weapons can or should be taken away. Logistically, it's impossible; and there's no justification for seizing guns from law-abiding citizens. It's simply not going to happen.

But restrictions on new purchases might help stem continued proliferation. And after this latest mass shooting, can't we at least agree that however many of these weapons are out there, we don't need more?

There are other, creative possibilities. But all are destined to be controversial, with some saying they go too far while others insist they don't go far enough.

Extremism drives our national debate on guns. And this, more than anything else, is the reason the needle never moves.

The pro-gun right believes every proposal, no matter how innocuous, represents the leading edge of the wedge, the first steps toward a total ban on guns. The anti-gun left, in its rhetoric, all too often validates that fear.

But in the face of continued bloodshed, a reasonable people must be able to forge a reasonable compromise.

Guns, by and of themselves, are not responsible for what happened in Broward County. Yet it's impossible to escape the conclusion that if Cruz sought to become a killing machine, we as a society made the tools for his task readily available.

We do not delude ourselves into thinking that new restrictions are "the" answer.

But this is not an excuse for inaction. We must, instead, search for small solutions, measures that can make it tougher for the next mass shooter to rack up such a high body count, while doing more to discern why they want to kill in the first place.

We owe that, at least, to the victims at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, to the dead — and the living.

Editorials of Treasure Coast Newspapers/TCPalm are decided collectively by its Editorial Board. To respond to this editorial in a letter to the editor, email up to 300 words to TCNLetters@TCPalm.com.
A teenager is arrested for allegedly planning a school shooting in Everett, Washington. Police found a semi-automatic rifle hidden in a guitar case along with bomb making equipment.