Two middle school students in Florida were arrested on Thursday and accused planning a Columbine-style massacre at their school, Harns Marsh Middle School in Lehigh Acres, Florida.
Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said at a press conference on Thursday that a student told a teacher that one of the teens had a gun in his backpack.
While officials did not find a gun in the student’s backpack, they found a map of the school where security cameras are located, and later found a gun and several knives in a search of their homes
Further investigation revealed that the teenagers were “extensively studying” the 1999 Columbine High School massacre where two students killed a dozen of their classmates and a teacher before killing themselves.
“They were extensively studying to learn more about the incident and the shooters,” Marceno said. “Detectives also learned the students were attempting to learn how to construct pipe bombs and how to purchase firearms on the black market.”
The two teens were evaluated at a mental health facility, according to Marceno.
“This could have been the next Parkland massacre, but we stopped them in the planning stages,” Marceno said. “We were one second away from a Columbine here. I’m certain that my team of dedicated deputies and detectives acted promptly, investigated thoroughly and prevented a very violent and dangerous act from being carried out.”
The students ages 13 and 14 will be charged with conspiracy to commit a mass shooting.
