Texas mother accused of terrorism over claims she bought ammo, gear for son planning mass violence

San Antonio Police Chief William McManus answers questions from the media, May 3, 2016, in San Antonio, Texas. (Bob Owen/The San Antonio Express-News via AP, File)

HOUSTON — A Texas mother has been charged with a terrorism-related crime after being accused of buying her 13-year-old son ammunition and tactical gear as he allegedly planned mass violence at his middle school, authorities said Thursday.

The boy, who was also charged with terrorism, had shown up to the school this week wearing a mask and tactical gear but left shortly after, according to San Antonio police. He was later detained off campus.

In recent years, parents of children who committed school shootings around the U.S. have been taken to court, though in this case no attack happened. The gun control group Everytown for Gun Safety said it had not found a similar case in which a parent was charged when violence did not occur.

Authorities in San Antonio said the boy’s mother had previously been contacted by police, her son’s school and Child Protective Services with concerns about her son.

“She appeared to be dismissive and unconcerned with her son’s behavior,” San Antonio police Chief William P. McManus said at a news conference. “Her behavior is not only dangerous, it’s abhorrent, especially as a parent.”

The mother has been charged with aiding in the commission of terrorism. She is free on a US$75,000 bond.

The Associated Press does not normally identify juveniles in criminal cases and is not naming the mother to avoid identifying the 13-year-old boy, who is being held in juvenile detention.

Joseph Appelt, the mother’s attorney, said he was unable to comment as he had just been appointed to the case Thursday and was still learning about it.

Michael Wynne, a Houston-based criminal defense attorney not connected to the case, said he believes laws and prosecutions of parents over allegations they played some sort of role in a school shooting or plans for one “are headed in this direction … because of the tragic consequences that can ensue if a parent continues to neglect their responsibilities.”

“What we’ve had in place so far clearly has not worked,” Wynne said. “We have to do something else because the consequences are so tragic and so dire.”

Around October, Child Protective Services reported its concerns about the boy’s family to police. In January, he was found in his school drawing violent pictures and in April he was suspended after researching mass shootings on a school computer, McManus said. He was allowed to return to campus earlier this month.

On Sunday, a family member saw the boy with a bullet, McManus said.

“He claimed his mother bought him the bullet and tactical gear,” McManus said. “The next day, the family member found loaded magazines and an improvised explosive device and immediately contacted police.”

Police say the mother provided her son with gun magazines and ammunition for them. McManus said “some very disturbing things” were found inside the mother’s home, including “Nazi swastikas and things like that.”

The mother was charged under a law passed by the Texas Legislature in 2023 that detailed a specific criminal charge of terrorism, and a state registry for anyone convicted of a crime conducted for the purpose of terrorizing the public.

Republican state Sen. Phil King, who authored the bill, had said it was aimed at helping law enforcement identify suspects when investigating threats.

Nick Suplina, senior vice president of law and policy at Everytown for Gun Safety, said parents and gun owners have the responsibility to prevent kids from accessing deadly weapons without supervision.

“Parental culpability cases are not one-size-fits-all, but this one stands out for such utter disregard for warning signs that it begs for criminal charges to be brought, even if, thankfully, a major tragedy was avoided here,” he said in a statement.

In Michigan last year, Jennifer and James Crumbley were the first U.S. parents held criminally responsible for a mass school shooting committed by a child. They are serving 10-year prison terms for involuntary manslaughter.

Associated Press writers Jim Vertuno in Austin, Texas, contributed to this report.

Juan A. Lozano, The Associated Press