Teen School Shooting Plot Uncovered Because, Well, Texas

Pasadena, Texas, is making headlines, and unfortunately it’s not for anything as harmless as a new rodeo attraction or a record-breaking barbecue festival. Instead, police say two Pasadena Memorial High School students were allegedly plotting a school shooting. A sentence that somehow feels less shocking when you remember that Texas statistically experiences more school shootings than almost any other state. It’s practically the tragic subtext of every news story at this point.

The whole thing unraveled on November 24th, when a student told her parent that she’d seen a screenshot of messages between two classmates discussing their supposed plan to attack the school. That single act of reporting kicked off the investigation that would eventually land 18-year-old Emilio Lopez, along with a 10th-grade juvenile, in serious legal trouble. Both are now charged with conspiracy to commit capital murder, which is about as far as you can get from “teenage mischief.”

If you read the probable cause affidavit, the messages between the suspects are a disturbing blend of teenage dramatics and tactical fantasy. Lopez allegedly begins with the classic “everyone hates me so I’ll give them a real reason” routine, never a promising start, before supposedly jumping straight to talking about shotguns and ammunition. The younger student responds like someone cosplaying a hardened strategist, saying things like “Soon brother soon,” and warning that such an attack can’t be carried out “in a fit of rage.” The two of them then allegedly drift into a casual conversation about weapon types, preferred ammunition, pump-action shotguns, future upgrades, and even dreams of owning military-grade rifles. At one point, Lopez seems to lament not having the correct barrel for an AK-12, while the juvenile reacts with a smiley-face emoji, because nothing says “completely normal teenage conversation” like emoji-laden discussions of paramilitary hardware.

The thread becomes even more concerning as Lopez allegedly talks about the idea of taking hostages to prolong the situation. The entire exchange reads like a mash-up of video game dialogue and real-world malice, with neither suspect showing much understanding of the fact that law enforcement tends to take this sort of thing extremely seriously.

And speaking of bad decisions, Lopez didn’t help himself when he allegedly posted photos to Instagram the next day, posing with a pump-action shotgun and a silver-and-black handgun that conveniently matched the weapons described in the messages. Investigators noted that he had also been tied to a separate social media threat earlier in the year, suggesting this wasn’t a one-time lapse in judgment so much as an ongoing theme.

One especially chilling detail came from the younger suspect, who reportedly sent a message to someone telling them, “Don’t come to school on Monday.” Nothing subtle there. Thankfully, instead of shrugging it off, that warning made its way to the right people, and authorities stepped in before anything more serious could happen.

Lopez is out on a $100,000 bond and is due back in court on January 7, 2026. The juvenile remains unnamed because of age but faces the same charge. Lopez’s father reportedly keeps his firearms secured at home, although investigators did not clarify where Lopez obtained the guns seen in his social media photos. You may insert your own Texas-flavored speculation here.

Pasadena ISD quickly assured the community that parents were notified during the Thanksgiving break and that there is no ongoing threat. They thanked the district police, Pasadena PD, and U.S. Marshals for their quick response and emphasized their commitment to a safe learning environment. Something that, sadly, feels harder to guarantee in a state where school shooting headlines have become disturbingly familiar.

Once again, the lesson here is that students spoke up, screenshots saved the day, and police responded swiftly. And once again, Texas finds itself at the center of a story that sounds like it should be rare but somehow isn’t. But sure, we’re told gun access has nothing to do with it. Absolutely nothing at all.

(Sources)