Twisted revenge plot revealed as possible motive after two teen girls planned to shoot up SoCal high school: cops

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The two teenage girls suspected of plotting an attack at a SoCal high school reportedly sought revenge.

Corona police told KTLA that the two 15-year-old girls made “specific plans” to carry out a “revenge-based attack” at Corona High School.

“They were trying to make specific plans as to how they were going to carry out this revenge-based attack,” Corona Police Department Lt. Robert Montanez told KTLA. “This was not joking around. This was not a one-off conversation,” Montanez added.

He added that investigators say the girls looked up how to obtain a firearm despite their young age and also discussed hunting-license requirements and whether guns could be purchased online or obtained through other sources.

The FBI flagged the social media discussions to police, who arrested one of the girls on Oct. 6 and the other on Oct. 20.

Local police concluded no alleged attack was imminent despite their planning.

“They were still very much in the planning stages,” Montanez said, adding no date had been set for the assault.

FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement that “a potential act of targeted violence against a Southern California high school was disrupted before anyone was harmed.”

He said the FBI identified online communications discussing a “planned school attack” and the Los Angeles FBI field office moved “immediately,” identified those involved, and worked with local police to take the teens into custody.

“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,” Patel added.

The Riverside District Attorney’s Office is reviewing the case, they told The California Post. No charges have been filed at this time, they added, and they would not release the teens’ identities.

The office later informed The Post that “pursuant to Welfare and Institutions Code section 676,” they would not say whether charges have been filed or release the identities of the teens. “This provision protects the privacy of juveniles and supports the goal of rehabilitation by allowing young people the opportunity to redirect their lives toward a productive adulthood,” they added.

Officials ranging from the FBI, Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, and school officials from the Corona-Norco Unified School District worked with the Corona Police Department on the case. The identities of the two 15-year-old girls are unknown.

The district noted neither girl has been on campus since the investigation began Oct. 6.

“We are grateful for the swift response of the Corona Police Department and their continued partnership throughout this investigation,” they wrote in a statement.

“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. 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.”

There is no current threat to the school, school officials said.

The plot comes days after a teen committed a horrific school shooting at an Oregon elementary school.

Sixteen-year-old Griffin John opened fire at an Oregon elementary school, killing three young children and a teacher. The teenager formerly went to the elementary school, and a heroic bystander shot him dead at the scene after he blasted into the school with a shotgun.

He allegedly killed five-year-old Rhoam Summer, an eight-year-old and an 11-year-old, along with teacher Megan Lambert, 25, in his former special education classroom. John’s motive is unclear, but he had a dark origin, growing up with an alcoholic father who beat the boy’s mother and threatened her with a knife before he was even born.

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