Two California high school students were arrested Monday for plotting a school shooting in their high school, The Associated Press reported.
The school district informed police of the boys' plans last week, and police had been monitoring their every move since, said South Pasadena police Sgt. Brian Solinsky Monday.
The boys were attempting to get weapons and had "very specific" plans and targets, he said, but Solinsky declined to go into detail about their plan.
There is a news conference planned for today, although the names of the boys have not been revealed, according to AP.
"This is a prime example of school officials recognizing suspicious behavior. It was this information that helped prevent a horrific tragedy," Solinsky said in a statement according NBC Los Angeles.
After school officials reported the plans to police, detectives began working around the clock to gather enough evidence to arrest the boys before the first day of class, which is this Thursday.
Police finally got their break when they found the boys were looking into submachine guns, rifles, bombs and other explosives, including propane, which was enough evidence for a search warrant of their homes, AP reported.
"They were researching weapons and how to fire and assemble them," police Sgt. Robert Bartl told the Pasadena Star-News.
One suspect was arrested without incident, while the other resisted arrest and tried running but failed, Solinsky said.
A letter was sent out to parents of South Pasadena High School students notifying them of the incident and informing them counseling will be available to their children, according to the Pasadena Star-News.
"Parents are expressing a lot of sadness with this news, a lot of fear. Wondering about whether there'll be increased police presence in the schools, and in general a lot of concern," South Pasadena Mayor Marina Khubesrian told NBC Los Angeles. "Thank God that this was averted."
One of the boys' mothers told NBC4 she was shocked and never saw this coming. Likewise, one of the boys' fathers said his son doesn't have intentions of hurting anyone in the school and that he is very worried about his son, according to NBC Los Angeles.
Jordan Jackmon, a student at South Pasadena High School, told NBC Los Angeles one of the suspects barely spoke and was "very awkward" and "very low-key about himself."
The suspects were about to begin their senior year at South Pasadena High School, an affluent town with 25,000 residents.
The arrests come a day after a New Jersey town held an active-shooter drill in which law enforcement agencies, volunteers and teachers prepared for a "double threat situation," according to CBS.
It wouldn't have been the first time tragedy struck at South Pasadena High School. After a South Pasadena school principal was angry about being fired by the district, he shot and killed five school officials on May 6, 1940, according to the Pasadena Star-News.
