FBI thwarts planned mass shooting, chlorine bombing at Kelso, WA mall
- A Columbia County, Oregon, juvenile was arrested for allegedly plotting a mass shooting and bombing at the Three Rivers Mall in Kelso, Washington.
- Authorities said the detailed plan included using a chlorine bomb and shooting mall patrons before taking his own life.
- The FBI and local law enforcement collaborated to swiftly identify and arrest the suspect on May 22, 2025.
A juvenile from Columbia County, Oregon , was arrested last month in connection with a conspiracy to conduct an improvised explosive device attack and mass shooting at the Three Rivers Mall in Kelso, Washington .
What we know
The teen, whose name has not been released because they are a minor, was taken into custody May 22 by deputies from the Columbia County Sheriff's Office.
The FBI Portland Field Office was alerted to detailed and imminent attack plans on May 19, 2025. Authorities immediately began working to identify the suspect. The individual was identified the following day, May 20, as a juvenile Columbia County resident who had shared nihilistic violent extremist ideology and the plans in online chats.
For public safety, the suspect was placed under court-authorized surveillance. A federal search warrant was executed on May 22, 2025, prior to the arrest.
Dig deeperAccording to the FBI, the suspect demonstrated both the intent and the means to carry out the plan. The plan included precise details such as a map of the mall, a route for the shooter, a plan to use a chlorine bomb to create panic, and then to shoot mall patrons as they exited the movie theater. The plan also detailed the suspect's intention to take his own life at a predetermined location within the mall.
"This plot was as serious as it gets," said FBI Portland Special Agent in Charge Doug Olson. "We, along with our partners, moved swiftly to interrupt this violent plan and to protect our community."
Initial contact with the suspect was made by the FBI, but local law enforcement made the arrest on state charges in Oregon.
"The FBI encourages the public to report suspicious behavior to law enforcement and for parents to engage with their children in open dialogue about their online activity," officials said in a news release.
The case goes to the Columbia County District Attorney’s office for prosecution.
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