The White House said on Thursday that officials arrested a juvenile in Washington who was allegedly threatening violence against a school after the mass shooting in Minneapolis a day earlier.
“There was an arrest of a juvenile right here in [Washington] DC in Ward 7 for threats to kidnap and injure, receiving stolen property, possession of a large capacity feeding device, unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.
“A search warrant was executed, seven firearms were recovered, and the juvenile was arrested after an investigation was initiated based on social media posts allegedly threatening violence towards a school.”
Leavitt did not provide any more details about the arrest, the suspect, or the alleged target. She said the arrest occurred on Wednesday evening.
Meanwhile, officials are investigating the mass shooting at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minnesota on Aug. 27 as a hate crime and an act of domestic terrorism, she said.
“The FBI is currently investigating this shooting as an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime targeting Catholics,” Leavitt said, echoing a statement made by FBI Director Kash Patel a day earlier.
She said federal law enforcement personnel are working on the ground in Minnesota to assist local officials, before adding there are “a lot of facts to understand about these circumstances, and so we’re going to continue to do that.”
A “sacred religious service was desecrated by an evil monster” when the shooter opened fire, killing two children who were ages 8 and 10, Leavitt said.
“If you see something, say something. If you see warning signs of threats, report them to law enforcement. This administration, federal law enforcement, will take those reports and those threats seriously. They will be treated as a law enforcement emergency, and we will act accordingly,” she said.
City officials on Thursday revised the number of wounded children to 15, between the ages of 6 and 15. Three parishioners in their 80s were also injured. Most were expected to survive, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara stated on Thursday.
The suspect was identified on Wednesday by officials as Robin Westman and said he was a former student at Annunciation Catholic School. Westman was found dead in the parking lot from what authorities believe was a self-inflicted gunshot, said officials. Federal officials referred to Westman as transgender.
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