Yucca Valley Student Arrested, Allegedly Threatened Teachers Over “Lack of Respect”, Had Cache of Weapons at Home

(San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department via KESQ)
(San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department via KESQ)
(San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department via KESQ)

Matthew Ross, an 18-year-old high school senior in Yucca Valley allegedly threatened to kill three teachers and has been arrested.

Ross, who lives in Twentynine Palms, was arrested Wednesday at Black Rock High School after being suspended for making the verbal threats.

Officers searched his home and found a cache of weapons including a loaded rifle, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, hunting knives and a crossbow – weapons that Ross had been recently posting pictures of on his Facebook page. He was not carrying any weapons at the time of his arrest.

San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Deputy Shaunna Ables told The LA Times the threat was a legitimate concern:

“The threat was very real,” she said. “He had the means to carry it out if he wanted to.”

Ross verbally threatened to kill the three teachers on Tuesday afternoon, and had been accumulating ammunition over the course of two weeks, Ables said. He has no criminal history.

His motive for the alleged threat, she said, was about a perceived lack of respect.

Ross’ father told authorites that his son was upset when he came home after school Tuesday afternoon, but that he later calmed down.

Ross is currently being held on suspicion of criminal threats at the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga in lieu of $50,000 bail.