Ontario student accused of planning school shooting may be able to reach plea deal – NBC Los Angeles

A high school student arrested on suspicion of planning a shooting at his Ontario school may reach a plea deal, according to his lawyer.

Sebastian Villasenor's lawyer said he has negotiated a settlement with the prosecutor and expects the agreement to be finalized during next week's court hearing. He did not go into details, but this case is attracting attention because, unlike other school shootings, it never happened.

Villasenor, 18, is accused of planning a shooting at Ontario Christian High School. The alleged plan came to light after a classmate reported concerns to authorities about the accused's interest in school shootings. He was arrested back in February.

“He was researching tactical equipment and was in the process of setting a specific date for the school shooting,” Ontario police said in a press conference after Villasenor's arrest. “He was Googling how far the police would get to the school.”

Legal expert Royal Oaks said the case was a coincidence as no violence had occurred.

“This case is very unusual in that there is an allegation of attempted murder, but no shooting was done,” Oaks said. “Yes, he bought seven rifles and two revolvers. Yes, he planned to attack six people at the school, but that is not the same as attempted murder. So the case is odd.”

In a statement, Villasenor's lawyer said the 18-year-old should not be charged with attempted murder.

“We have consistently defended Sebastian's complete innocence regarding the attempted murder charge and the allegation that he 'planned or planned' a school shooting,” Villasenor's attorney, Daniel Deilmon, said in a statement. “In our view, the evidence in this case has never supported these allegations. The proposed settlement appears to reflect an understanding that these allegations could never be proven in a criminal trial. Sebastian and his family want to put this legal nightmare behind them and hope that he can find a way to move his life in a positive direction after this event.”

The San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office said it is in contact with the families of those who were allegedly targeted by the defendant.

Villasenor is scheduled to appear in court again on May 30.