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Brendan Vaughan, a student at Washingtonville High School in Orange County, was arrested following a search of his home by Washingtonville police along with the FBI, state police and Middletown police, police said.
“Investigators discovered evidence in the home, and obtained a statement from the suspect, supporting information that he was in the planning stages of some sort of attack at the school, and posed a threat to public safety,” Washingtonville Police Chief Brian Zacarro said in a press release.
“We are confident if not for the vigorous work by the investigators involved, and the cooperation of the district, this threat could have resulted in a catastrophe," the chief added.
Police did not say how they targeted Vaughan, but investigators said evidence uncovered inside his home suggested that he was in the planning stages of some sort of attack at the high school and that he posed a threat to public safety.
After the search, Vaughan was charged with making a terroristic threat, a felony, and two counts of falsely reporting an incident.
Washingtonville High School Principal Brian Connolly, who posted a statement to the community on Facebook, said the school had received information from the police regarding Vaughan that the police had determined there was no additional threat to the school “at this time.”
Vaughan was released from the Orange County Jail after posting $75,000 bond. He is due to appear in court on Wednesday.
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