On September 20, police in Kennewick, Washington, arrested 14-year-old Mason Bently-Ray Ashby, a ninth grader at Kamiakin High School, on suspicion of attempted first-degree murder. This wasn’t just a kid daydreaming about violence. According to court documents, Ashby had access to guns, a manifesto, and a color-coded map of his school that detailed possible targets. He even filmed himself walking the campus, talking about how he could shoot through the library windows.

And yet, where are the national headlines? We’ll spend days talking about celebrity feuds, viral stunts, or political gaffes, but a foiled school shooting plot involving two armed 14-year-olds barely makes the ticker outside of local media. Why is that? Because the story was stopped in time? Because we’d rather not be reminded how easy it is for kids to get their hands on firearms? This should be front-page news. Instead, it’s a footnote.

Ashby wasn’t a stranger to police. The FBI had already flagged him for threatening his online girlfriend with photos of a loaded handgun, for making suicidal and homicidal statements, and for running a social media account under the name of another school shooter. I wonder which loser it was. The odds say it was probably Eric Harris, but for some reason Pekka-Eric Auvinen has seen a surge in popularity lately. But I digress.

Investigators discovered a TikTok account that showed a map of Kamiakin High. Areas in orange were marked “targets.” Green marked “potential targets.” A pink zone labeled “be weary of” pointed to the office where the school resource officer and security staff worked.

When police searched Ashby’s home, they found not just that map but also writings about shootings, drawings of gun attacks, and a list of prior school shooters. His iPhone contained videos of him opening his grandfather’s gun safes and handling at least 11 different firearms. His search history included whether buckshot could penetrate glass and research on tactical gear.

Then there was the manifesto. “Hey, you found my manifesto,” it began. He bragged about how his social media accounts would be exposed after the “massacre” and even floated the idea of recording the attack.

Officers seized 24 handguns, rifles, and shotguns from the home Ashby shared with his grandparents. Twenty-four. Who on earth needs that many guns? This is why America has more guns than people and why firearms in this country seem to enjoy more rights than its citizens.

Ashby’s grandfather claimed the boy had no access to them. But Ashby figured out the safe’s code by noticing the smudges on the keypad. That’s all it took. So much for ‘responsible gun owners.™’ If a kid is determined, they’ll find a way. The only foolproof way to keep guns out of kids’ hands is not to have them in the house.

It turned out one of the 24 guns was missing. It was a .40 caliber handgun with a 15-round magazine. That weapon ended up in the hands of Ashby’s classmate, 14-year-old Dylan Charles Carpenter.

Carpenter was later arrested on suspicion of attempted assault and felony harassment. Investigators say he texted about discarding the gun, writing, “the g is gone.” He admitted to tossing it on a grassy hill near a Dick’s Sporting Goods by a local mall and scattering the ammunition in different spots. Police recovered the missing firearm and magazine with a K-9 unit’s help.

Think about what could have happened. That .40 caliber handgun could have ended up with a criminal, a gang member, or just another teenager curious enough to pull the trigger. It was a danger to the public the moment it left the safe.

Every gun that ends up in a “bad guy’s” hands starts with a so-called “good guy with a gun.” The myth collapses when you see how easily guns slip from supposedly secure homes into the hands of children. That .40 caliber pistol didn’t appear out of thin air. It was pulled from a family safe, passed around by teenagers, and tossed into a public space.

This time, a TikTok tip and police intervention prevented tragedy, but the truth remains. No gun safe, no lock, and no promise of ‘responsible ownership’ can guarantee safety. The only safe gun in a household with children is no gun at all.

If you have kids, get rid of your guns and pay attention to what they’re doing online. Because ignoring either one could cost lives.

(Source)

• Student with guns, manifesto and Tri-Cities school map charged with attempted murder