(WASHINGTON) — An Ohio man was charged with threatening to carry out a school shooting at a California middle school, the Justice Department announced this week.
Alex Jaques, 21, was charged with making interstate threats – and the FBI found out because he posted videos of his guns on YouTube, according to the Justice Department.
In the video posted on YouTube, Jaques allegedly shot a Chromebook and then made threats to Washington Middle School in Salinas, California.
“The video shows an Uzi-style weapon being discharged in rapid succession and multiple shots fired from a rifle-style weapon,” a release from DOJ says. That video was titled “Torture testing a Chromebook (Washington Middle School),” DOJ says. They say he obtained the laptop because one of his siblings allegedly went to the school.
Court documents say that Jaques made direct threats to the school.
“Hello guys, we are going to be torture testing a… Washington Middle School Chromebook, yea Washington Middle School Chromebook from Salinas, California where I plan to eventually return… uh to fill out my list of duties … that I have filled out with names and addresses of people who have wronged me throughout the years anyways … SUH SD that’s uh Salinas Union High School District,” Jaques said.
He then immediately stabbed the laptop repeatedly with a screwdriver, according to a compliant filed in federal court by DOJ.
“Jaques later stated, ‘Washington Middle School you are next,’ then fires at the Washington Middle School laptop multiple times with what appears to be three separate firearms,” the complaint continued.
Law enforcement says they found the weapon when they searched the home.
A lawyer for Jaques did not respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.