SAN DIEGO — In February, the San Diego City Attorney's office filed 19 gun violence restraining orders (GVROs). The numbers are announced monthly.
“We're convinced that we have intervened in many potential tragic scenarios,” San Diego City Attorney Mara Elliott said last month.
CBS 8 dug into the court documents and discovered three GVROs involved in shooting threats against local schools.
“Gun violence is real. We need people to call us and check it out. We don't want to read about our community in the newspaper,” Elliott told CBS 8 last month.
On February 17, San Diego police filed a gun violence restraining order petition against a 19-year-old Mira Mesa High School senior.
The teenager's aunt reported to police that in August 2022, her nephew stated, "I'm going to get a gun and kill the teachers and students. They deserve it because they are racist."
Last week, the teen filed a response in court, saying his aunt made up a false accusation after he insulted her by calling her ugly.
"I never stated anything about wanting to commit a shooting or the school being racist. I get along with all my peers, teachers, and coaches at school. I have no criminal record, no motive even to purchase a gun,” the teen's response stated.
Three days ago, San Diego police filed a GVRO alleging a 15-year-old student in Rancho Bernardo “reportedly threatened to kill other students at his school. [He] wanted a non-specific weapon to shoot and kill someone."
The boy's home address is listed on the petition in the area Rancho Bernardo High School serves. However, the GVRO did not specifically say which school the teenager attended.
On February 7, according to another GVRO, a 23-year-old man in Hillcrest told his girlfriend, “I want to kill people. If I had a weapon, I would shoot up a school or a public place. I want to commit mass murder."
No specific school was named, and the restraining order remains in court.
Also filed last month, a GVRO alleging a 23-year-old San Marcos man, recently fired from his job with Amazon on Via Del Campo in Rancho Bernardo, made comments about shooting up the place. SDPD filed the petition, which is still pending in court.
Responding to questions about who notifies schools and workplaces about GVRO petitions, the city attorney’s office emailed CBS 8 the following statement:
"GVROs are almost always referred to us by law enforcement agencies. Most GVRO cases involving threats of school or workplace violence begin when a concerned citizen reports the threatening behavior to a law enforcement agency, which refers the matter to our Office for investigation, review, and, when warranted, the filing of a GVRO petition. Law enforcement may notify others (potential victim/target) of the situation depending upon the specific circumstances of each case and public safety considerations."
CBS 8 is not identifying the individuals named in the GVROs detailed above because the cases are civil and still pending. Additionally, no criminal charges have been filed.
Public members can search current GVROs by name on the San Diego Sheriff’s website.
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