California Teen Used Sex Offender Registry to Confront, Shoot at Suspected Offenders with BB Gun

A teenager in California allegedly used the state’s sex offender registry to identify and confront people he believed were listed on it, threatening and shooting at them with a BB gun, according to a report. The suspect, who turned 18 this week, was 17 at the time of the incidents in March, the East Bay Times reported Thursday, citing police and court records. The teen allegedly walked around Walnut Creek carrying a BB-style gun and a handwritten list of names pulled from Megan’s Law, a public registry created after the murder of 7-year-old Megan Kanka, which provides offenders’ photos and addresses to the public. He then confronted, threatened and fired at people he believed were registered sex offenders, officials said. He was arrested March 15 on suspicion of brandishing a weapon and assault with a firearm, according to court and police records reviewed by the outlet. The case remains under investigation in juvenile court, and his identity has not been released due to privacy laws, EBT reported. The suspect is also reportedly under investigation for a separate April incident involving alleged drug distribution to minors. In April, a female student at Los Lomas High School was hospitalized after unknowingly ingesting a significant dose of cannabis in a sandwich provided by a male student, according to EBT. Investigators later identified the same teen as a suspected seller of marijuana and other drugs. They allegedly recovered Instagram messages showing him offering marijuana and psychedelic mushrooms to other teenagers and discussing bulk sales. A search of his Walnut Creek home last month reportedly turned up $1,300 in cash and packaged cannabis edibles similar to those linked to the earlier incident, according to EBT. It is unclear whether the 18-year-old will face criminal charges in either investigation, according to the outlet. The Independent has contacted the Walnut Creek Police Department and Los Lomas High School for comment.