Two Florida middle school students were arrested Thursday for allegedly plotting to carry out a school shooting.
"This could have been the next Parkland massacre, but we stopped them in the planning stages,” said Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno.
The students, who authorities say are 13 and 14 years old, took an interest in the Columbine school shooting, which left 13 victims dead.
Marceno said a teacher at Harns Marsh Middle School in Lehigh Acres contacted the school administrators and the school resource officer after a student told them one of the suspects had a gun in his backpack.
No weapon was found in the backpack, but Marceno said the student was in possession of a map, which showed where the school cameras are located.
Upon further investigation, Marceno said they located a gun and knives at the students’ homes.
The boys were scheduled to undergo a mental evaluation, Marceno said.
