San Diego police arrested a man this week for threatening a mass shooting at Shoal Creek Elementary School in Carmel Mountain, the department said.
Lee Lor, 38, was arrested last Friday and arraigned on Tuesday on a charge of making criminal threats, San Diego police said. He allegedly sent an email to Shoal Creek directly saying he was going to shoot up the school.
The school’s principal, Harmeena Omoto, said in a letter to family the suspect was not a parent, student, nor staff member of Shoal Creek. Court documents reveal he chose this school because his neighbors kids go here.
At his arraignment Tuesday, a Gun Violence Restraining Order was issued against Lor to prohibit him from possessing or buying guns. The judge also issued a criminal protective order for Shoal Creek elementary.
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Parents at Shoal Creek tell NBC 7 they feel relieved picking up their kids now that they know a suspect is behind bars.
Jessica Cerna has three kids in the school.
“Someone's out there that wants to hurt these kids,” she said. “They know nothing about, you know, they're innocent. They're just here to learn. Why do they have to be scared to they're going to get shot at?”
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Poway Unified responded to the threats in a statement saying in part:
“If we were ever in danger after law enforcement made us aware of the threat, we would never jeopardize the safety of our students and staff. We also want to remind our community - when we see something, we say something.”
Parents are still on guard.
“He got arrested,” Cerna said. “But it's still in the back of your mind, like, ‘is there something else going to happen?’”
Parent Braxthon Demaretti added, “Obviously, something's wrong with his mind and he should go to jail and stay in jail.”
Both parents have mixed feelings about when and how they should tell their kids about school shootings because they don’t want to scare them. Demaretti’s son is 4. Still, he said, the best time is now.
“It's never too early or too late to let your kids know that there is bad people in this world and you could be in danger at any time,” he said. “And to defend yourself and be aware of your surroundings.”
Lor is due back in court on Dec. 19. He is being held without bail. If convicted, his charge carries a one-year sentence in jail.
