A teen arrested in connection with a threatening message saying a school shooting would take place earlier this week at Skyview High in Nampa says he watched videos about the 1999 Columbine school shooting.
Eighteen-year-old Martin Soto was arraigned Wednesday on a felony count of possessing a stolen weapon. Both he and a 16-year-old student who also was arrested are thought to have played roles in the message saying a shooting would take place at Skyview Tuesday.
The Idaho Press Tribunereports that in an interview with police, Soto told authorities he watched Youtube videos about the Columbine shooting. At one point he told his interrogators he thought the videos were funny. Soto initially claimed he took the firearm he’s accused of stealing from an abandoned house near the farm he works at. Then he changed his story saying he took it from a nearby barn. On the third telling, Soto claimed the handgun was found in a shed at his house.
A judge released Soto from the Canyon County Jail but ordered him to wear a GPS tracker. Soto is prohibited from being on public school campuses and has a 6 p.m curfew. If convicted, Soto faces up to 14 years in prison. He’ll be in court April 26 for a preliminary hearing.
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