NM student arrested for shooting plot

GALLUP (KRQE) - A 20-year-old New Mexico man is behind bars accused of plotting a shooting at a high school. This threat is serious enough that the FBI is on the case.

The FBI found that a former Gallup High student not only posted online about shooting bullies at school but he had weapons at his home.

The criminal complaint says 20-year-old Paulo Nikko Peral admitted he dreams of killing bullies at Gallup High School, where he went to school two years ago.

He told detectives he made threatening posts Monday online at Yahoo! Answers under the screen name, PauloP20.

Posts like this one:

“Should I go up to my school and start shooting people that picked on me? I mean….those jocks in my school….they are stupid trying to bully me all the time…not just jocks…all of em…I mean why do they have to be so judgemental…!!!!!!!”

He also says, "It's not a joke. I planned it and now all I have to do is actions. I deserve an apology from those people, if not…I’m going to do what I wanted to do a loooong time ago. But thanks for the answer anyway. I’ll think this over and over and over. Thanks for your advice.”

Peral even asked for recommendations for the best assault rifle to use.

The posts have since been deleted and the school district says Gallup High School is safe, especially after Peral's arrest Wednesday morning.

"I do want to stress we do have good safety plans in place,” says Phyllis Cassuse, an assistant superintendent at Gallup-McKinley County Schools. “We take any threats to children very seriously and take all precautions to make sure our children are safe in our schools.”

FBI agents say Peral told his parents about a hunting trip planned for tomorrow—the last day before winter break at the high school.

“We have had extra patrols at all of our schools because of what happened in Connecticut," Cassuse says.

Peral's parents told detectives they were afraid of their son and thought he was capable of hurting others.

Officers found weapons in Peral's bedroom, including a bow and arrows, throwing knives, a BB assault-styled rifle and a hand ax.

Peral was in federal court Wednesday, and he will be in federal custody while he waits for his preliminary and detention hearings, scheduled for Friday morning.

School administrators say they are sending out letters Thursday to alert parents to the threat and let them know what they are doing about it.