A chilling plot to carry out a school shooting at Ontario Christian High School was thwarted thanks to the vigilance of a classmate who reported concerning behavior to school officials.
Sebastian Villasenor, an 18-year-old resident of Eastvale, was arrested and charged with attempted murder and making a terrorist threat after authorities uncovered his detailed plan and arsenal of weapons.
Ontario Police Chief Mike Lorenz revealed that Villasenor’s fixation on school shootings and access to weapons were brought to light when a fellow student expressed concerns to school officials.
“He researched tactical supplies and was in the process of choosing a specific date to carry out the school shooting,” Chief Lorenz stated.
Upon Villasenor’s arrest at his residence, law enforcement confiscated an alarming cache of weapons, including seven rifles, one shotgun and over a thousand rounds of ammunition.
Chief Lorenz further detailed the extent of Villasenor’s planning.
“He was so obsessed with our response times that he Google-mapped how far it would be from the Ontario Police Department for our response time to the school,” Lorenz said in a press conference.
Authorities praised the courageous actions of the student who alerted officials, saying that their intervention potentially saved numerous lives.
“The student who came forward, who saw something and said something, is a hero,” Chief Lorenz asserted. “That student saved lives, spared families from losing their children and a community from being devastated by a senseless act of violence.”
While Villasenor was not subjected to bullying or harassment at school, he struggled to form friendships with classmates.
Investigative efforts revealed that he had contemplated harming six specific students at the school, although no manifesto was found.
In a statement from the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office, Villasenor was officially charged with five counts of attempted murder and one count of attempting to make criminal threats. He remains in custody, and it is unclear at this time whether he has legal representation.
School Principal Ben Dykhouse also expressed his gratitude for the swift actions of law enforcement and the brave student who spoke up.
“I am grateful to God, the police and to the student who was brave enough to say something when they saw something that was off,” Dykhouse remarked.
Investigators believe that Villasenor’s fixation on school shootings extended to the anniversary of the 1999 Columbine High School attack in Colorado, leading them to suspect a potential attack around April 20.
Villasenor, who is being held without bail, was arraigned on February 15, where further legal proceedings will unfold in response to the disturbing plot he allegedly orchestrated.
The teen pleaded not guilty to all charges, according to the DA’s office.
Ontario is located 46 miles east of Los Angeles.
