A student who allegedly threatened a school shooting at Bonita Vista Middle School in an online chatting app was arrested at home Tuesday morning by Chula Vista police, officials said.
The arrest came after police were tipped that there had been “potential threats made by a student to commit a school shooting” at the middle school, located on Otay Lakes Road, said police Sgt. Anthony Molina. The anonymous tip was relayed to police through a mobile application known as P3 Tips around 7 a.m.
“Thanks to the timely nature of the tip, officers were able to contact the student at their home before the school day commenced,” Molina said in a statement.
Officers conducting a preliminary investigation reviewed messages the student had left on Discord, an online chatting app used by gamers and others, and arrested the student on suspicion of making criminal threats. No firearms were located during the investigation, Molina said. The department did not give the age of the youth who was arrested or say if it was a boy or girl.
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School resources officers and school staff members are continuing to investigate the incident.
The anonymous tip came via P3 Tips, a mobile app that can be downloaded on cellphones or accessed via the web to submit anonymous tips to Crime Stoppers programs and law enforcement agencies.
Chula Vista police said threats are never taken lightly by the department, and investigating them is a top priority. Police officials said it appreciated “all students who actively participate in safeguarding their schools and communities by reporting potential threats.”