By Nancy Dillon
New York Daily News
MEDFORD, Ore. — A high school custodian who confessed he was planning a mass shooting in southern Oregon has been arrested and charged with multiple crimes, police said Thursday.
Kristopher Clay, 24, allegedly walked into the lobby of the Medford Police Department on July 20 and told an officer he was “having homicidal thoughts with plans to carry them out,” MPD said in a statement.
Clay was transported to Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center and placed in protective custody in the behavioral health unit, police said.
Search warrants served a various locations turned up multiple firearms, ammunition, tactical gear and written material, investigators said.
“Clay made significant steps to carry out a mass casualty event,” the MPD statement said.
Described in his booking record as 6 feet tall and 240 pounds, Clay was employed as a custodian at South Medford High School and had no known previous criminal convictions, police said.
His mental health history was not immediately clear, but he was prohibited from possessing firearms because of a court finding he posed a danger to himself or others under Oregon law, police said.
Medford School District officials conducted a thorough sweep of the high school to ensure “no active threats” remained and terminated Clay’s employment, police said.
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“The investigation revealed he obtained firearms through various channels,” MPD officials said in the statement.
Clay was arrested in the hospital Wednesday and charged with second-degree attempted murder, first-degree attempted assault and various weapons charges.
“We are relieved a potentially catastrophic event was prevented,” the MPD statement said.
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