Bonita Vista Middle Student – Second in 2 Months – Suspected in Campus Shooting Threat

For the second time in two months, a Bonita Vista Middle School student has been arrested for allegedly threatening to carry out a campus shooting, police said.

The suspect was taken into custody Tuesday following an anonymous tip, via the P3 Tips mobile app, received by the Chula Vista Police Department’s School Resource Officer Unit.

Police said the tip, about a threat to the Bonita Vista campus, enabled them to contact the student at home before school started. The child is suspected of making criminal threats.

The student’s name, gender and age were withheld.

Among the evidence that led to the arrest were messages the suspect allegedly posted on an online chat platform, Discord, often used by gamers, according to police. No firearms were involved or located during the investigation, police said.

In September, another 12-year-old Bonita Vista student was arrested after police learned of a text message with a threat regarding a campus shooting.

Investigators at that time received reports of the threat from a student and it was later determined that the text originated with the same child.

The September case, though, sparked a panic as screenshots of the original text circulated in the community on social media, leading to concerns about an active shooter on campus at one school and an exodus at others as students quickly departed.

Police said Tuesday that the cases are unrelated.

City News Service contributed to this report.