In a shocking turn of events, two teenage girls—ages 15 and 16—are now in custody after federal and local authorities disrupted an alleged plot to carry out a “mass casualty attack” at Memorial High School in Harris County, Texas.
According to law enforcement sources, the FBI was alerted on Tuesday to alarming threats made by the girls, which involved plans to use pipe bombs and firearms. The threats were deemed credible enough to prompt an immediate response from the FBI’s Threat Mitigation Team.
At approximately 2:45 p.m. CST, the FBI contacted law enforcement agencies in Montgomery County, Harris County, and the Spring Branch Independent School District. Within just 30 minutes, by 3:15 p.m., both suspects had been located and taken into custody.
Spring Branch ISD Police Chief Larry Baimbridge praised the swift coordination between agencies, stating, “This is exactly how this type of information should be handled. I’m grateful to the FBI for acting immediately, allowing us to locate and detain the suspects before tragedy struck.”
FBI Houston spokesperson Connor Hagan echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the crucial role of federal-local partnerships. “This situation is exactly why the FBI exists,” he said. “Because of quick action and close collaboration, innocent students’ lives were saved.”
The 16-year-old girl, a student at Memorial High School, now faces charges of making a terroristic threat. Meanwhile, the 15-year-old suspect is being held in Montgomery County on an unrelated charge. Investigators have yet to recover any firearms or bomb-making materials in Harris County, though inquiries continue across multiple jurisdictions.
This chilling incident comes just days after the FBI intervened in a similar case in Mooresville, Indiana, where a potential high school mass shooting was thwarted.
With threats like these becoming all too frequent, authorities stress the importance of vigilance and rapid response. “Our agents and local officers work tirelessly every day to prevent tragedies like this,” Hagan stated.
This developing case is a sobering reminder of the ever-present danger posed by school violence—and the critical role of law enforcement in stopping potential tragedies before they unfold.
