It began with a scuffle throughout a ladies’ basketball recreation final month at Centennial Excessive Faculty in Corona.
Gamers from the opposing groups — the Centennial Excessive Huskies and the Santiago Excessive Faculty Sharks — tussled for the ball after a foul was referred to as. Just a few gamers shoved each other.
Then, police say, a person jumped out of the stands, ran onto the courtroom and punched a number of of the women.
After another person within the crowd restrained him, he walked to his automotive within the car parking zone, pulled out a handgun, pointed it at a number of college students and threatened to shoot them, Corona police said in a statement. He fled simply earlier than officers arrived.
The Corona Police Division on Friday recognized the person as Thaddis Brooks, 39, of Perris.
Brooks was arrested at his dwelling on Thursday on suspicion of constructing prison threats, brandishing a lethal weapon, being a felon in possession of a firearm, possessing a firearm on college grounds and youngster abuse.
Reserving information present that Brooks is being held on the Robert Presley Detention Middle in Riverside in lieu of $350,000 bail and that he has a courtroom look scheduled for Monday.
In response to San Bernardino County Superior Court docket information, Brooks has a number of felony convictions.
He pleaded responsible in 2006 to battery inflicting severe bodily harm, and he pleaded responsible in 2009 to creating prison threats. He additionally pleaded responsible to a number of drug possession expenses over time.
Throughout a search of Brooks’ dwelling in Perris on Thursday, authorities didn’t discover any firearms, the Police Division mentioned in an announcement.
Corona Police Sgt. Jason Waldon mentioned in an e-mail to The Instances on Friday that Brooks was “associated to a participant on one of many groups” enjoying within the Jan. 24 recreation at Centennial Excessive Faculty. He mentioned the Police Division was not naming which crew.
Waldon mentioned that Brooks injured three ladies, ages 16 and 17, on the basketball courtroom.
“Whereas within the car parking zone, the suspect pointed his handgun at a number of extra feminine college students and threatened to shoot them,” Waldon mentioned. These ladies, he mentioned, have been ages 13 to 17.
The Corona-Norco Unified Faculty District mentioned in a statement Friday that the women’ basketball recreation was within the fourth quarter when the melee started.
“This incident was extraordinarily upsetting and we wish to make it clear that CNUSD doesn’t stand for any habits that threatens the protection of our college students, workers, or group,” the district mentioned.
The district mentioned it might be implementing extra security measures at indoor athletic occasions, together with elevated legislation enforcement and workers presence and steel detectors. No reentry can be allowed for individuals who depart, and baggage can be topic to searches.
This story initially appeared in Los Angeles Times.
