Perryville teen faces charge of threatening to 'shoot up' school; 3 talked of attack, police say

An 18-year-old Perryville, Missouri, student has been charged with making a terroristic threat last month to "shoot up" Perryville High School, prosecutors said Thursday.

Perry County Prosecuting Attorney Caitlin Pistorio said in a news release Rylan Carlson was arrested this week on a class E felony charge of making a terroristic threat in the second degree.

If convicted, he could be sentenced to four years in prison or one year in the county jail, and/or fined up to $10,000, according to the release.

Carlson is one of three male Perryville High School students accused of discussing the idea of a mass shooting. The other two students are not facing adult charges because they are juveniles, according to the release.

According to a probable-cause statement from school resource officer Teresa Cox of the Perry County Sheriff's Department, high school assistant principal Shadrick Shafer contacted her March 13 about the threat.

Shafer reported another student overheard the three students plotting an attack, according to the probable-cause statement.

The student witness said she heard one of the three say, "Hey, let's shoot up the school" and another remark, "I already have a shotgun and pistol. All we need is an AR-15," Cox wrote in the statement.

The student witness identified the three students, including Carlson.

Shafer interviewed the three students separately. Cox wrote the two juveniles admitted discussing the idea of launching an attack.

The first juvenile said they discussed specific weapons that could be used, Cox wrote. He admitted to having weapons in his home, the officer wrote.

School staff members and other students, who were interviewed, revealed the juvenile had made threatening comments about school shooters and school shootings in the past, according to Cox.

He was found to have searched on his school-issued Chromebook laptop for information and songs on school shootings, Cox wrote.

The second juveile was combative during his interview, according to the statement. At one point, he stated, "I have an AR-15 with a 100-round clip. You'd have fun trying to load that," Cox wrote.

Carlson said he initiated the discussion. "He said he could bring in ... a non-student friend of his, to help them," Cox wrote.

Carlson said he made the remark about having a shotgun and pistol, and needing an AR-15, she wrote.

Weapons and ammunition were found during a search of his home March 14, according to the statement.

The investigation concluded Wednesday, resulting in the felony charge, the news release said.

Carlson was released on $5,000 bond, the sheriff's department said.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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