Student accused of planning shooting at Ontario school had Columbine obsession, police say
An Ontario-area high school senior who is accused of planning to shoot up his campus as an homage to the Columbine High School massacre was booked Wednesday in San Bernardino County.
Ontario Christian High School senior Sebastian Villasenor was charged with five counts of attempted murder and one count of attempted criminal threats, according to county Dist. Atty. Jason Anderson.
Villasenor, 18, was being held at the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga, but was due in court Thursday morning for a formal arraignment.
A lawyer for the defendant was not listed in court documents.
“Sebastian Villasenor had every intention to take the lives of innocent people,†Ontario Police Chief Michael Lorenz said at a press conference Wednesday.
Police recovered more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition along with seven rifles, two revolvers, a handgun and a shotgun from the family home, said Lorenz. The chief thanked Villasenor’s family for its cooperation in the investigation.
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“His parents lost a very young man who has charges on him and our sympathy and condolences go out to the family of Sebastian Villasenor,†Lorenz said. “It’s an unfortunate incident that this is the mind-set that he had that he thought he had to do this.â€
Lorenz did not comment on whether the weapons were legally obtained.
When asked about a potential motive, Lorenz said the Eastvale resident “had an obsession with the Columbine shooting.â€
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A sweeping new Justice Department report that highlights the failures of Uvalde first responders is also a primer on effective approaches to mass violence.
“April 20 this year happens to be on a weekend, so we believe it was going to be some time around that time frame,†Lorenz said.
The criminal complaint alleges that Villasenor “did willfully and unlawfully threaten to commit a crime which would result in death and great bodily harm†to five unidentified students named Jane Does No. 1 through 5.
There was no hit list or manifesto recovered during Villasenor’s arrest, Lorenz said. He added that police discovered who the alleged potential victims were through the course of the investigation.
“We believe it was through some social interactions that he had with the other students†that led to their selection, Lorenz said.
A day after police arrested a 15-year-old student at Redondo Union High School who they say carried a loaded gun onto campus, a second person was detained after a search Tuesday.
School officials became aware of the alleged plot when a classmate who had spoken with Villasenor told school administrators.
Ben Dykhouse, principal at Ontario Christian High School, did not confirm the nature of the conversation between the two students.
“What I can say is that I’m grateful for the relationships that have been fostered between students and our faculty that this student felt comfortable enough to come forward,†Dykhouse said at the press conference. “I believe it was a direct result of feeling comfortable with an adult to talk to about this very sensitive issue.â€
Villasenor had been a student for two years at the private school, according to Dykhouse.
Villasenor hadn’t been involved in any prior disciplinary incidents, Dykhouse said.
Dykhouse said he would consider bolstering his campus security, although he was pleased the school’s security protocols prevailed.
“What’s important is we learn from these critical incidents that happen and we continue to train and we continue to evolve and we continue to instruct people that you are not bothering someone if you see something and you feel uncomfortable about it — you have to say something,†Lorenz said.
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