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Two teenage girls are in custody after the FBI became aware of a potential mass casualty attack early this week, law enforcement confirmed Thursday.
According to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, the agency is actively investigating a criminal case involving online threats made by the suspects enrolled in the Spring Branch Independent School District in Houston.
Authorities were alerted to the threat on Tuesday and swiftly detained two teens aged 15 and 16. Due to an ongoing investigation, both the sheriff’s office and the FBI have declined to disclose the location of the arrests or any specifics about the planned attack.
Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Investigating Online Threats Involving Students
Here is what we know about the investigation.
What is law enforcement saying about the students in custody?
According to the news release, one student — a 15-year-old who attends Willis High School — is in custody on unrelated charges. Law enforcement would not disclose the charges that teen faces.
The other teenager involved was in custody in Harris County on Wednesday. Spring Branch ISD Police Chief Larry Baimbridge told ABC News that the student is 16, attends Memorial High School, and was being held on a charge of making a terroristic threat.
According to USA TODAY, because the investigation is in the early stages and law enforcement continued to review evidence in the case, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s office said it would” provide updates as more information becomes available.”
Were any weapons found?
As reported by ABC 13 Houston, the FBI stated that the plot involved pipe bombs and firearms. However, authorities mentioned that no guns, bombs, or bomb-making materials have been discovered in Harris County so far. The investigation continues in both Harris and Montgomery counties.
FBI Houston Public Affairs Officer Connor Hagan said they were able to rapidly use the information they received to prevent the attack.
“This type of situation is exactly why the FBI exists,” he said.
“This planned attack wouldn’t have been stopped without exceptionally close partnerships between FBI Houston, Spring Branch ISD Police Department, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and Houston Police Department,” Hagan continued. “We have officers from dozens of local agencies embedded with our agents working these types of threats everyday on our Threat Mitigation Team and other task forces. FBI agents and task force officers, who are federally deputized, are absolutely essential to keeping our communities safe.”
-USA TODAY Network senior reporter Natalie Neysa Alund contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: 2 teen girls in custody for planned mass attack at Texas high school
