This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Police on Friday remained baffled about why a 15-year-old Bountiful boy took a shotgun to school, blasting a classroom ceiling before his own parents wrestled him to the floor.

"We haven't been able to talk with the boy in any detail, due to his [exercising] his rights [to not answer questions]," Bountiful police Lt. Dave Edwards said. "So, we have no indication on intent or motive."

The youth remained in custody at the Farmington Bay Youth Center while detectives obtained search warrants for his electronic devices and social media accounts. Investigators also were in the process of interviewing his friends and classmates in hopes of learning what led to the Thursday morning incident at Mueller Park Junior High School.

Edwards said preliminary investigation revealed that the boy's parents had noticed otherwise unspecified "odd behavior" by their son of late. The boy's mother and father were discussing the developments Thursday when they apparently decided to check the family's gun safe.

They found a 12-gauge shotgun and a 9mm handgun, as well as ammunition, were missing,

"It was a locked gun safe. We don't know yet how he was able to access the weapons," Edwards said.

The parents, who live close to the school, immediately rushed out and drove to the 955 E. 1800 South campus.

"They didn't call police or, as far as we know, the school. Their first reaction was to go to the school," Edwards said.

Meanwhile the boy, clad in a large, black trench-style coat, entered the classroom, an angry look on his face, racked a round into the shotgun and fired at the ceiling.

He then pointed the weapon at himself, police said.

A teacher and some of the 26 students in the classroom tried to soothe the boy by talking to him.

The delay provided the parents, who had just arrived, time to arrive and rush into the classroom seconds later, police said.

His father tackled the boy as his mother pulled the shotgun away.

Bountiful police, alerted by a 911 call from the school, arrived soon thereafter, confiscated the shotgun and pistol, and took the boy into custody.

No injuries were reported, but the school was put on immediate lockdown and students were escorted by staff and police to a nearby church building to be picked up by their families.

Classes resumed Friday with social workers and counselors made available to staff and students.

The boy, whose identity was withheld due to his age, was booked into the youth detention facility on suspicion of felony theft of firearms charges and misdemeanor counts of taking weapons inside a school. He was not immediately scheduled for a juvenile court hearing.

Twitter: @remims