Two teenage girls were arrested after police said they discussed a possible attack on Corona High School online for months. The FBI notified the Corona Police Department on Oct. 6 about social media communications tied to the threat, and both suspects now remain in custody on charges of conspiracy to commit murder.
Corona High School threat
Police said the case began with online communications involving a possible threat to Corona High School in Riverside County. Investigators arrested a 15-year-old Corona High student first, then identified and arrested a second 15-year-old girl who attended Norco High School after searching residences and electronic devices under multiple search warrants.
Corona police said the pair had spent several months researching school shootings. In a release, the department said, "The evidence obtained showed the two suspects had spent several months researching school shootings and discussed how they could carry out a potential attack at Corona High School on an unspecified future date."
Kash Patel on the arrests
FBI Director Kash Patel praised the response by federal agents in Los Angeles and Corona police, saying they moved fast to stop a planned attack before anyone was harmed. He also wrote, "There is no greater priority than protecting our kids, and threats against our schools will be met with the full force of the FBI and our partners," in a social media post.
The searches turned up no weapons, even though police said the suspects discussed ways to obtain them. That gap is one reason the case now sits with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, which is reviewing the charges while both girls remain in custody.
Riverside County review
The remaining question is what specific messages led authorities to treat the online discussion as a credible threat. The arrests show how a school threat case can move from digital chatter to search warrants and detention once police and federal agents connect the communications to a possible attack plan.
