SAN ANTONIO — A 19-year-old New Braunfels man who authorities say lied while trying to buy weapons and was possibly planning a school shooting was indicted by a grand jury last month.
According to arrest records, Cameron Peterson was under investigation by the FBI after a tipster said he "kept a dozen or so journals" in which he "detailed fantasies and plans for school shootings." Peterson's plans included the use of explosive devices and targeting first responders, according to the tipster who made the report on May 8.
Peterson was formally charged last Wednesday with multiple offenses, including making false or fictitious statements in an attempt to purchase a gun.
'Idolized school shootings'
The FBI found Peterson first tried to buy a 12-gauge shotgun in January but was turned away "because of his age and the type of firearm he was attempting to purchase," records say. Peterson returned to the same New Braunfels pawn shop on May 31, where the FBI said he lied about his current address and marijuana use; which he allegedly told FBI agents he smoked "on a daily basis." Peterson was again unable to purchase a firearm after being flagged by the National Instant Background Check System (NICS).
The tipster who contacted the FBI anonymously said Peterson "idolizes violence and school shootings," adding he "may emulate infamous prior mass shooters," according to a criminal complaint. The indictment accuses Peterson of having at least one unregistered gun in his possession, a semi-automatic rifle, which was reportedly altered to fire rounds more quickly. Other documents claim he also had a "makeshift explosive device" in his room.
Another teenager arrested for alleged threats of mass violence
Peterson was arrested on June 5 and is being held without bond due to the danger he poses, including an alleged "history of violence or use of weapons."
One week later, authorities arrested 19-year-old Trevin Boone. The San Antonio resident is accused of threatening to kill himself and "at least 12 others." The FBI says they received a tip about the alleged threats Boone made in an online chat room late last year. Boone reportedly tried to purchase a firearm on June 13 before he was taken into custody.
'The people who reported them are heroes'
“In both of those cases, they had moved pretty far up the pathway to violence," said Greg Pratt, a retired FBI agent. "They were in the preparation stage. So, the folks who reported them, they are heroes.”
During his 22-year career at the San Antonio FBI field office, Pratt responded to the Sutherland Springs First Baptist Church shooting and two other mass shootings at Fort Hood. He also investigated threats to the public as part of the Domestic Terrorism Squad of the Joint Terrorism Task Force.
"We would take complaints in from citizens," said Pratt. "That's how we would best do our job - is receiving information from the public about threats. Most of the complaints that [the FBI] receives are about people who don't have the means or the motivation to carry out the threat.
"A lot of them are looking for attention, but we have to investigate each of the allegations to determine if they pose a credible threat to the public. Having been there and seeing the results of these horrific acts [of violence], there's almost always signs that these people are going to commit these acts."
A retired Homeland Security agent didn’t want to share his name because of the undercover work he did, but says law enforcement has the tools to filter threats.
Authorities depend on tips
“Policing is a community effort," the retired HSI agent said. "Law enforcement is very dependent on the public. The life you save may be your own or someone very close to you, you just don’t know. It's that age-old saying; if you see something, say something."
To report a threat, email tips.fbi.gov or call the San Antonio FBI office at (210) 225-6741. You can also call San Antonio Crime Stoppers, which partners with local and federal law enforcement agencies, at (210) 224-STOP (7867).
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