A 9th-grade Kamiakin High School student was officially charged with murder for his plans to shoot up his school.
Court documents showed that the Kennewick Police Department (KPD) received a tip from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Sept. 20. This was regarding a TikTok post that originated from a user from Florida.
High School Student Arrested Over School Shooting Plot
The social media post included a map of Kamiakin High School with certain rooms marked as targets. The FBI then identified the person who was responsible for the post, revealing him to be a 14-year-old boy from the Badget Canyon area.
After that, investigators revealed that the teenager had previously been on law enforcement's radar for threatening his online girlfriend with a gun and making statements that were considered concerning.
Court documents also showed that the suspect operated a social media account that was named after a school shooter. A search was executed at 7:47 p.m. on Sept. 20, where police discovered 24 firearms in safes, maps of the school, documents with shooting references, and a drawing of shooting scenarios, according to NBC Right Now.
Authorities also found a handgun that was reported missing from the boy's grandfather's safe on Sept. 23. They discovered an alleged 14-year-old accomplice of the suspect, who denied knowledge of the missing firearm.
A tip was able to lead investigations to a gun that they believe was discarded by the said accomplice near Dick's Sporting Goods on Quinault Ave, which is confirmed to be the missing item.
Law enforcement personnel noted that videos and photos they recovered during the execution of the search warrant showed the teen handling guns inside the house. One video, dated Sept. 19, showed the suspect walking around Kamiakin High School, talking about the library's structure and how he could shoot through the glass windows, KEPRTV reported.
Planning Out the Attack
Officials also found a self-described manifesto, where the teenager described how he solved the codes to access the safes. A screenshot showed what was described as the start of the manifesto, where he described himself and his plans.
The suspect, later identified as Mason Bently-Ray Ashby, now faces 11 counts of second-degree possession of handguns and threats to harm property, on top of attempted murder with a firearm enhancement. Officials set the suspect's bail at $1 million.
The alleged accomplice teen was also arrested, identified as Dylan Charles Carpenter, whose bail was set at $500,000. He is facing attempted assault in the first and second degrees, as well as felony harassment, as per the Tri-City Herald.
