Teen charged after allegedly threatening to commit mass shooting at an Oxnard middle school
VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. (KEYT) – A 17-year-old is facing charges of criminal threats after they allegedly threatened to commit a mass shooting at R.J. Frank Middle School in Oxnard earlier this year.
Penal Code section 422.3(a) -which took effect on Jan. 1 of this year- makes it a crime to threaten death or great bodily injury to people at schools, daycare centers, workplaces, houses of worship, or medical facilities and includes threats made by phone, text messages, images or online posts stated the Ventura County District Attorney's Office in a press release Friday.
The new state law differs from previous criminal statutes in that it includes threats made against places and not just people or a person explained the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
On Jan. 21, 2026, Oxnard Police Department received information from a mandated reporter that a person had threatened R.J. Frank Academy Middle School during a phone call and had also sent images and references to previous mass shootings detailed the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
Investigators were able to determine the person making the threats was not a student at the middle school and were able to eventually identify the caller shared the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
On Jan. 22, officers arrested the 17-year-old as they arrived at school and a search warrant was executed at their home while they were transported to the Juvenile Justice Center stated the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
No firearms were found at the teen's home and law enforcement served the 17-year-old with a Gun Violence Protective Order preventing them from owning a firearm noted the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
The teen is currently scheduled for a continued arraignment hearing on Feb. 10, 2026, and they remain in detention at the Juvenile Justice Center.
