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High School Attack by Professor Thwarted?

By Andrew Lu on August 02, 2012 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

A University of California, Irvine professor is being held without bail after police say he plotted an attack on his son's high school, following his son's suicide.

Rainer Reinscheid blamed the Irvine high school for his son's death saying that the school mistreated the child. As a result, Reinscheid allegedly plotted to buy guns, murder students and administrators, carry out sexual assaults, burn down the school, and kill himself, reports The Associated Press.

The 48-year-old is now being held without bail on unrelated arson charges. He was denied bail on those charges as he has been described to be a "danger to society."

Earlier this year, Reinscheid's son was disciplined for a theft at a student store in the high school. He was punished with trash pick-up duties at lunch. It was a relatively minor offense and punishment, but the teen reacted badly and committed suicide at a park next to the school, reports the AP.

Last week, Reinscheid was arrested at that park for allegedly trying to start a fire. The university professor initially posted $50,000 and was released from jail. However, detectives were able to later link Reinscheid to earlier fires at the park and when they searched the man's cell phone, they found emails to his wife that detailed the planned high school attack. Reinscheid was arrested again and denied bail.

Reinscheid now faces 13 years in prison for arson and attempted arson charges for the fires at the park. It's interesting to note that the university professor does not face any charges for the threats on the high school. Instead, these threats have been used solely to deny bail for the arson charges.

Generally, for a threat to be a criminal threat, there must be an intention for the communication to be taken as a threat. As Professor Reinscheid's wrote his emails detailing the high school attack to himself and his wife, the emails themselves do not support a criminal claim, said the district attorney's office.

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