Criminal Threats Toward Murrieta School Result In 13-Year-Old's Arrest

MURRIETA, CA — A former Warm Springs Middle School student was arrested over the weekend, and four firearms were seized from the family home after the child allegedly made online threats toward the campus.

The 13-year-old, whose identity was not released due to age, was taken into custody following a Murrieta Police Department investigation that began at approximately 11:19 p.m. Saturday.

According to the law enforcement agency, an Instagram user made online threats toward the campus and tagged the school’s Instagram account.

"School Resource Officers responded to investigate and quickly identified the juvenile suspect as a 13-year-old former student of the school," the agency reported. "A search warrant was served at the suspect’s residence, which resulted in the juvenile’s arrest and seizure of four firearms belonging to a family member."

The child was placed into Juvenile Hall, but booking information was unavailable.

"We take the safety and security of our schools with the utmost seriousness and are satisfied that this threat has been resolved," according to the Murrieta Police Department.

The agency said it will be "extra vigilant" this week with additional staffing at Warm Springs Middle School and other Murrieta schools "as necessary."