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Police: 2 Teenagers Planned School Shooting In South Pasadena

SOUTH PASADENA (CBS/AP) — Two teenage boys were arrested Monday after making specific plans to kill three staffers then gun down as many students as possible at South Pasadena High School, police said.

The boys, who did not yet have weapons but were trying to get them, had been under constant surveillance since the school district informed police of their plans last Thursday, South Pasadena police Sgt. Brian Solinsky said.

He would not elaborate on the plans or what form they took, but Solinsky said they were "very specific" and included named targets.

"This is a prime example of school officials recognizing suspicious behavior," Solinsky said in a statement. "It was this information that helped prevent a horrific tragedy."

Police found evidence that the boys were researching rifles, submachine guns, bombs and other explosives, especially propane, police said.

"They were researching weapons and how to fire and assemble them," police Sgt. Robert Bartl told the Pasadena Star-News.

Enough evidence was gathered to serve warrants at the boys' homes Monday, Solinsky said.

One of them resisted, and police had to break into his house to take him into custody as he tried to run, Solinsky said.

The boys were both about to begin their senior year at South Pasadena High School in the community of about 25,000 people eight miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles.

The school's first day of classes is scheduled for Thursday, and police had hoped to make the arrests before then, though they found no evidence of a date for a planned attack, Bartl told the Star-News.

Detectives had been working around the clock and monitoring the boys since the threat first emerged, Solinsky said. Relatives of both boys had been questioned, he said, but would not elaborate further on the investigation or the evidence.

South Pasadena Board of Education Superintendent Geoff Yantz said Monday the administration was informed of a "credible threat of potential school violence" and contacted police immediately.

Yantz said there was no threat as the school prepared to open for the fall semester.

"Two students involved in the matter were arrested and remain in custody. The police have the situation under control and there is currently no threat to students or employees. Psychologists and counselors will be available at the high school to provide support to our students and employees. The School Board and I appreciate the immediate response by the South Pasadena Police Department, and school will begin on as planned."

Students and parents expressed their relief Monday.

"I'm really shocked," student David Yun told KCAL9's Rachel Kim.

"I would never imagine something like that happening at our school," another student added.

The police chief plans to hold a news conference Tuesday morning to reveal more details.

The arrests came the day after another Los Angeles County boy was arrested on suspicion of posting online threats to shoot students at local schools, though sheriff's officials acknowledged that those threats were intended as pranks.

(TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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