US: Texas mum arrested, charged for buying ammunition for son’s terrorist attack in school

A Texas mother has been arrested and charged after allegedly purchasing ammunition and tactical gear to support her son’s planned terrorist attack at his middle school, officials said.

Ashley Pardo, 33, was taken into custody Monday and charged with aiding in the commission of terrorism after allegedly providing her son with ammunition and tactical equipment for a “mass targeted violence” plot aimed at Rhodes Middle School in San Antonio.

According to an affidavit obtained by ABC News, Pardo’s son was first contacted by officials in January after drawings were discovered that showed a map of the school labeled “suicide route,” alongside the school’s name written next to a rifle. The boy expressed a “fascination with past mass shooters,” the affidavit said.

In April, the boy was found researching the 2019 Christchurch mosque shooting in New Zealand, a tragedy that killed 51 people, on a school-issued computer. Following this, he was suspended and later attempted suicide with a straight razor, sustaining serious injuries that required over 100 stitches. He then attended an alternative school until May 7.

The boy’s grandmother, with whom he had been staying “on various occasions,” alerted police after finding him “hitting a live bullet with a hammer,” according to the affidavit.

The boy told his grandmother he received the bullet from Pardo and that she kept “guns and ammunition at her house.”

The grandmother told authorities Pardo had been taking the boy to a local surplus store, where she purchased magazines, a tactical black vest “capable of concealing ballistic plates,” a tactical black helmet, and various army clothing for him.

On the day of the arrest, the boy told his grandmother he was “going to be famous” before being picked up by his mother and taken to school.

When searching his bedroom, the grandmother found magazines loaded with live rifle and pistol ammunition, as well as an improvised explosive device—a mortar-style firework wrapped in duct tape—with inscriptions referencing white supremacy and the Christchurch mosque shooter, Brenton Tarrant.

Along with the weaponry, a handwritten note was found listing previous mass shootings, suspects, and the number of victims in each incident.

Despite being aware of her son’s threats, Pardo reportedly “expressed to the school her support of his ‘violent expressions and drawings’” and said she was “not concerned for his behavior.”

The affidavit also revealed she purchased the gear and ammunition for her son in exchange for babysitting his younger siblings.

Officials said the boy arrived at school wearing camouflage gear, a mask, and tactical pants but left shortly after. Rhodes Middle School Principal Felismina Martinez stated in a letter to parents that the boy was “detained off-campus and is being charged with terrorism.”

“Please know we take all potential threats seriously and act immediately to protect everyone in our care. We will always remain vigilant to ensure our learning and working environment is safe and secure,” Martinez wrote.

Pardo was released on a $75,000 bond Tuesday and is scheduled for a pre-indictment hearing on July 17.

(ABC News)

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