Texas man pleads guilty to plotting mass shootings at multiple Buc-e high schools

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (KBTX) – A 20-year-old New Braunfels man pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of attempting to obtain a firearm for use in a plot targeting a popular interstate store and several schools, according to federal prosecutors.

Cameron Peterson, 20, began planning mass shootings in November 2022, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

On January 4, 2024, Peterson attempted to purchase a 12-gauge shotgun from a New Braunfels pawn shop. He passed the required background check but was denied due to his age and the type of firearm he was trying to purchase.

On May 31, he tried to buy a 12-gauge shotgun, which resembles an assault weapon, from a pawn shop but was rejected a second time.

FBI agents obtained an arrest warrant on June 5, and Peterson was immediately taken into custody at the New Braunfels Police Department. During a search of his home, FBI agents testified that they found and confiscated a modified .22-caliber long rifle with the stock sawed off and six 60-round magazines.

On June 6, as part of a federal search warrant, agents checked Peterson’s Instagram account and found statements from Peterson about plans to attack a gas station.

An investigation by KEYE TV in Austin found that the target was the Beeches gas station in the New Braunfels area, as well as several high schools in the area.

That same day, Peterson was recorded from jail instructing a witness to hide or destroy a videotape he made of himself surveilling a grocery store in order to plan a future attack.

On June 10, during another search of Peterson’s home, a box containing 11 aerosol cans and other ingredients for making destructive devices was discovered. One of the containers was found to be easily rendered operational and was classified as an improvised explosive device (IED). The IED was not registered with the National Firearms Registry and could not be related to Peterson’s age.

Peterson is scheduled to be sentenced on February 5, 2025, and faces up to 10 years in prison with a $250,000 fine.