Cape Cod teen was planning shooting at Falmouth school, prosecutors say
An 18-year-old from Falmouth was arrested Thursday after prosecutors say he was seen "casing" a school in the Cape Cod town for what they described as a planned school shooting.
Ian Fotheringham was arraigned Friday in Falmouth District Court on a single charge of threatened use of a deadly weapon in a public building. He was ordered held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing, said Cape & Islands District Attorney Robert Galibois' office in a statement.
Falmouth police first received "concerning information" about Fotheringham in August. At the time, prosecutors say, investigators learned Fotherinham wanted to shoot up a school and said he was refurbishing guns in his room.
Police got consent to search Fotheringham's home, but did not find any illegal guns, according to the statement.
Then, in early September, school safety monitors for the Falmouth school district notified police of a suspicious man near the property, Galibois' office said. Investigators learned the monitors had seen a man walking in the woods behind the school.
Based on an interaction with the man, who prosecutors say they identified as Fotheringham, investigators were concerned he was "casing" the school.
Investigators later determined a phone belonging to Fotheringham had several photos of the school shooting at Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado in 1999, Galibois' office said.
They subsequently obtained a search warrant for Fotheringham's home, where they found a large 3D printer capable of producing a gun, Galibois' office said.
Fotheringham was arrested Thursday by local and state police.
"Because of their swift, coordinated response and shared commitment to public safety, a potential tragedy was prevented. We are deeply grateful for their professionalism, vigilance, and dedication to protecting our community," Galibois' office said in the statement.
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