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Teen accused of planning Colorado school shooting showed intention to carry out plan if released on bond

By No User April 14, 2023 | updated 2 years ago

A 19-year-old who was arrested last month and accused of planning a mass shooting at schools in Colorado Springs indicated from jail earlier this week an intention to carry out the original plan if released on bond, according to a spokesperson with the 18th Judicial District.

William Whitworth is being held at the Elbert County jail, where on Monday, Whitworth reportedly indicated to an employee Whitworth’s continued plan to commit a mass shooting at an Academy District 20 school, where Whitworth was a student at three schools for a total of nine months between 2014 and 2016.

Former Colorado Springs student accused of planning school shooting

At a hearing Thursday, a judge raised Whitworth’s bond to $750,000 from $75,000. The mandatory protection order conditions were also modified to include GPS monitoring and no contact with any public or private school property or institution in Colorado.

Whitworth, who is transitioning to female, was arrested March 31 and accused of planning a mass shooting when investigators found instructions on how to build homemade bombs and a whiteboard with the floor plan to Timberview Middle School in Whitworth’s bedroom, according to arrest records obtained by The Gazette.

The affidavit states that Prairie Hills Elementary and Pine Creek High School, both in Colorado Springs, were also listed as “targets” in one of Whitworth’s notebooks, which contained a “detailed” list of people “to be killed.” Investigators did not find any weapons in the home, but they did find a liquid that is used to clean firearms.

William Whitworth: More about the former Colorado Springs student accused of planning school shooting

Deputies also found a “manifesto” with the names of mass shooters, political commentators and more while searching Whitworth’s home, according to the affidavit. A notebook was found with instructions on how to make firearms using a 3D printer and how to make homemade explosives. Whitworth admitted to watching a YouTube video on how to build a detonator, according to the affidavit.

Law enforcement originally responded to the home after Whitworth’s sister reported Whitworth behaving violently and referencing school shootings. 

Deputies found Whitworth lying in bed, drunk, in a room piled with trash that had several holes in the wall, according to the affidavit.

When authorities asked why Whitworth wanted to shoot up a school, Whitworth said: “No specific reason.” Whitworth also admitted to being “about a third of the way from doing it (committing a mass shooting),” the affidavit states.

Whitworth is facing charges of criminal mischief, menacing and interference with staff, faculty or students of educational institutions. Whitworth is expected to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on May 3.

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