SAN DIEGO — A 38-year-old man is in custody after San Diego Police said he threatened to commit a mass shooting at Shoal Creek Elementary in Carmel Mountain Ranch.
According to police, Lee Lor was arrested Friday in Carlsbad, and charged with one felony count of making criminal threats. According to court documents, Lor sent an e-mail, threatening to shoot up the school. When an officer interviewed him, he confirmed "he wanted to shoot up [the] school because it is where the neighbor kids attend school."
The address Lor gave authorities is located about a mile from the school. CBS 8 went to the home. No one answered the door. A neighbor confirmed police were outside the home Friday evening. Multiple neighbors told us only one family with young children is located in close proximity to the home.
CBS 8 spoke to the mother of those young children. Her kids do not go to Shoal. She said she has never met Lor or had any interaction with him.
Neighbors who live near Lor's mother's home in Linda Vista told CBS 8 Lor is ex-military. They said he moved out of the neighborhood years ago.
Lor was arraigned in San Diego Superior Court on Tuesday. A Gun Violence Restraining Order was issued by the court prohibiting Lor from possessing or purchasing firearms.
According to state records, Lor is a former security guard. He is currently behind held without bail. A bail review hearing is scheduled for Friday. A criminal protective order was issued for Shoal Creek.
"We didn't know what happened until last night. We got an email late last night. I haven't slept," said parent Dan Roth.
His daughter goes to Shoal.
"This is my first child in school. This is the scariest thing that I could ever go through," said Roth. "There are a lot of parents who weren't sure about sending their kids today."
"I can't bring [my daughter] up being afraid of things, because then that leads to more and more, and at what point do we stop?" said Roth. "We have to teach them to be brave now, but also when they get home, be okay being sad and emotional."
"I can't have them live their entire lives in a bubble wondering 'What if?'" he added.
The following letter went home to parents:
Dear Shoal Creek Families,
Thank you for your patience as SDPD worked through their investigation. I was unable to share specific details so as not to jeopardize their investigation of Friday’s threat. I know this was frustrating and frightening, and as a parent myself, I understand the difficulty when all the information isn’t immediately available. SDPD has released the information below to assure all of us that they are taking the strongest measures to ensure our safety and are taking the matter very seriously.
I want to reiterate that if we were ever in danger after law enforcement made us aware of the threat, we would never jeopardize the safety of our students and staff. Law enforcement investigated this threat immediately and reassured us no additional safety measures were needed in response to the threat that they learned of on Friday, December 1st. Our messaging to staff and parents was approved by SDPD.
I will continue to be in communication with SDPD and share any updates as I am able to. Our student resource officer will continue to be a presence around our campus. I appreciate the partnership of SDPD. The suspect remains in police custody with no bail.
Please be assured that our school will continue to be open for our students to learn in a safe environment, and Shoal Creek remains committed to your child’s safety and wellbeing. If you choose to have a discussion with your child regarding this incident, please reiterate these points (from San Diego Office of Education)
- Don’t give more details than needed.
- Children need brief, simple information that should be balanced with reassurances that their schools and homes are safe and that adults are there to protect them.
- Answer questions calmly
- Don’t be surprised if your children don’t have any questions or concerns — often, children will quickly return to their typical routines.
Kindly,
Harmeena Omoto
Principal
Shoal Creek Elementary