MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas – Two teenage girls have been arrested after authorities uncovered a plan to harm students at a Houston-area high school using guns and pipe bombs.
According to KPRC 2, KSAT’s sister station in Houston, the suspects, ages 15 and 16, were in the early stages of planning an attack at Memorial High School. Their plan involved placing pipe bombs around the school and using guns to target students.
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office described the incident as stemming from “online threats.”
Law enforcement officers arrested the two students within 30 minutes of learning about the plot, as reported by KPRC.
The arrests were part of a joint operation involving the FBI, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and Spring Branch ISD Police Department following a tip received by SBISDPD.
One of the suspects, a 16-year-old girl from Memorial High School, attended an alternative school for students who fall behind. She has been charged with making a terroristic threat, a third-degree felony, and is currently in custody in Harris County.
The second suspect, a 15-year-old Willis High School student, is in the custody of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office on unrelated charges. She has not been charged in connection with the threat, and further details about her charges are expected, according to KPRC.
It is unclear if parents have been notified, and some students heading home told KPRC they were unaware of the incident.