By Elizabeth Ferszt
Contributing Writer
A 15-year-old female student is facing weapons charges after allegedly threatening to attack Allegan High School.
According to Allegan County Prosecutor’s Office, they have brought charges of filing a false report, threat of terrorism, stealing a firearm, felony firearm, and safe-breaking.
According to the police report, arrest affidavit, and warrant, Allegan Police Department was notified by the FBI’s Detroit field office about a credible threat to the school. Officials were able to use an IP address linked to the girl’s device in order to identify her as a suspect. She is being charged as an adult.
When police arrived at the 15-year-old’s house, they spoke first with her parent, who brought her daughter out to talk with the police. They showed her the texts or postings of what she had sent to two people online. The girl then allegedly confessed to breaking into her mother’s gun safe and stealing a Glock handgun.
It was unclear if the two people were fellow students at Allegan High School, and/of if they tipped the FBI. It is also unclear exactly when the threats were made and when she stole the gun.
Allegan Public Schools said in a statement that on Friday Sept. 19, before the school day had begun, law enforcement and the school district were alerted by the FBI about a possible threat and “concerning online conversations.”
APS Superintendent James Antoine said on Thurs. Sept. 25 that even though the student was charged with multiple felonies as an adult, they cannot reveal her name: “Although the individual will be tried as an adult, the student is still considered a minor from the school district’s perspective…and [APS] is obligated to follow privacy laws — even if information is publicly available elsewhere — we are limited in what information we can share.”
However, Antoine confirmed that the 15-year-old used to attend Allegan High School, “but is now enrolled in Allegan Online.”
According to the arrest report and other court documents used in her being taken into custody, the “concerning online conversations” or text messages that the girl sent included a detailed plan of attack for the school.
Here is what she wrote: “…get my mom’s Glock firearm, a few cans of gasoline, and a f**k ton of fireworks. I’ll take my dad’s van when he gets home, load up the back with gasoline and fireworks, drive it to school, the cafeteria is mainly windows.”
“I would park the car outside the cafeteria in the parking lot, and put it in reverse. I’m gonna place a cinder block on the gas, BUT before I’m gonna douse the fireworks in gas, and throw a match/lighter in the back. Once the car crashes through the window, my plan is that it’ll explode.”
“If it does, that should cause enough chaos for me to get in, shoot the cop in the lunchroom, and just go trigger happy on anyone I see.”
“I have another idea of breaking the glass windows on the classroom doors, [pouring] gas into the hole (carpeted floors) and just setting it on fire. If they don’t suffocate to death then they’ll just burn. And I’m probably going to do this on September 20th (my birthday).”
Update: Several local news outlets are now reporting the alleged possible shooter at Allegan High School is 15-year-old Mya Nicole Barron. According to 57th District Court records, Barron was arraigned on Sept. 25, at 11:30 am, in Allegan County Courtroom D with Hon. Christopher Burnett, presiding. Additionally, she is scheduled for a PCC on Th. Oct. 2 at 1 pm, CTRM D, again with Judge Burnett. Her attorney is listed as Chad Catalino, Director of Allegan County Public Defender’s Office ; Allegan County Chief Prosecutor, Micheal Villar is named as Prosecutor.
