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.
remims@sltrib.com
Twitter: @remims
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Police officers enter Mueller Park Jr High around 8:30 am this morning, Thursday, December 1, 2016.
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Police officers enter Mueller Park Jr High around 8:30 am this morning, Thursday, December 1, 2016.
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Police officers patrol the roof of Mueller Park Jr High, after the report of an active shooter in the school, Thursday, December 1, 2016.
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Police officers patrol the roof of Mueller Park Jr High, after the report of an active shooter in the school, Thursday, December 1, 2016.
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Police officers enter Mueller Park Jr High around 8:30 am this morning, Thursday, December 1, 2016.
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune DeAnne Bailey hugs her daughter Halissa, after being reunited after a shooting at Mueller Park Jr High, in Bountiful, Thursday, December 1, 2016.
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Becky Browning hugs her son, Jaden LeBaron, as they are re-united after a shooting at Mueller Park Jr High, in Bountiful, Thursday, December 1, 2016.
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Lori Malmrose smiles as she see's her son Boston walking towards her from the school as students were released, after a shooting at Mueller Park Jr High, in Bountiful, Thursday, December 1, 2016.
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Lori Malmrose hugs her son Boston, after a shooting at Mueller Park Jr High, in Bountiful, Thursday, December 1, 2016.
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune David Fowers hugs his son Dan, a 9th grader, that was in the science class when the shooting occurred, at Mueller Park Jr High, in Bountiful, Thursday, December 1, 2016.
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Colleen Murphy hugs her daughter Aliza, after a shooting at Mueller Park Jr High, in Bountiful, Thursday, December 1, 2016.
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Sylvia Fisk waits for news from her grand daughter, a student at Mueller Park Jr High, after a reported shooting this morning, Thursday, December 1, 2016.
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune DeAnne Bailey hugs her daughter Hannah Bailey as they wait for informant about De Anne's other daughter Halissa, at Mueller Park Jr High, after a reported shooting this morning, Thursday, December 1, 2016.
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Police officers leave Mueller Park Jr High, in Bountiful, after the shooting suspect was apprehended, Thursday, December 1, 2016.
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Mary Ann Wilkinson walks with her daughter Sarah, a 7th grader student at Mueller Park Jr High, in Bountiful, where there was a shooting this morning, Thursday, December 1, 2016.
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Police officers leave Mueller Park Jr High, in Bountiful, after the shooting suspect was apprehended, Thursday, December 1, 2016.
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Lori Malmrose reaches to hug her son Boston, after a shooting at Mueller Park Jr High, in Bountiful, Thursday, December 1, 2016.
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune A police man directs Mueller Park Jr. High, students to the church where their parents are waiting for them, as they are released from school, after a shooting at Mueller Park Jr. High, in Bountiful, Thursday, December 1, 2016.
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Bountiful Mayor Randy Lewis, Bountiful Police Chief Tom Ross, and Chris Williams, Davis School District, give a press conference after a shooting at Mueller Park Jr. High, in Bountiful, Thursday, December 1, 2016.
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