Update: Handgun and rifles found at Pixley Middle School student's home

A 13-year-old Pixley Middle School student was arrested after threatening a shooting, Tulare County sheriff's deputies said.

While searching the boy's home detectives said they found a handgun and four rifles. 

Deputies were called by staff just after 3:30 p.m. to the school, located at 1520 E. Court Ave. According to school officials, the student made threats online. 

Once the boy was identified, school administrators "immediately" called sheriff's deputies.

“There couldn’t be a more appropriate time to remind people that, if you see something suspicious or that seems off, say something. It is so important" said Sheriff Mike Boudreaux. "You can do it anonymously. Our deputies can’t look into a situation if they know nothing about it.”

During the investigation, deputies learned the student said he was going “shoot up" the school. 

A search warrant was issued at the student's home in Pixley. Detectives collected evidence related to the threats, including the firearms.

Pixley Union School District declined to comment on the investigation. 

The student was arrested and booked into Tulare County Juvenile Detention Facility on suspicion of criminal threats. Because the student is a minor, deputies are not releasing the boy's name. 

In California, the law prohibits prosecution of children under 14 years old. However, there are certain crimes, many of them involving violence or threat of bodily harm, that can be charged against children 14 or older. 

Thursday's arrest followed a school shooting in Parkland, Fla. where 17 students and faculty were killed. 

“These are the kinds of calls that we, as a department, hate to get. But when we get them, we take them very seriously," Boudreaux said. "As we saw in Florida and countless times before, we can’t afford to brush these off as juvenile threats.”

Anyone with information on the incident is urged to call Tulare County Sheriff's Department at 802-9523. An anonymous tip can be sent to 725-4194.

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