Texas Mother Charged with T*rrorism for Buying her son B*llets and Tactical Gear for his planned mass School Sh**ting

A Texas mother, Ashley Pardo, 33, is facing a terrorism charge for allegedly buying ammunition and tactical gear for her son, whom she knew was planning a violent attack at Rhodes Middle School.

On May 12, Pardo's son arrived at school wearing a camouflage jacket, mask, and tactical pants but left shortly after. The affidavit states that Pardo supported her son's violent expressions and drawings and felt no concern about his behavior.

The boy's grandmother contacted the police after discovering him hammering a bullet that morning. When she asked where he got it, he claimed his mother provided the live ammunition and took him to a store to buy tactical gear in exchange for babysitting his younger siblings. He mentioned he wanted to be "famous" as Pardo drove him to school that day.

After the grandmother searched his room, she found loaded rifle and pistol magazines, an improvised explosive device made from a firework, and a note listing names of past mass shooters and their victim counts.

The boy's troubling behavior had already been noted; in January, school staff found drawings he made of the school, which included a "suicide route." In a meeting about his drawings, he showed a fascination with mass shooters and their writings. In April, he was suspended for reading about a mass shooting in Christchurch, New Zealand, which killed 51 people and was livestreamed. Later, he attempted suicide with a razor and needed over 100 stitches for his injuries.

After his suspension, he was moved to a different school but returned to Rhodes Middle School on May 8. Pardo was reportedly aware of her son's threats but dismissed concerns raised by law enforcement, Child Protective Services, and school officials. The school had already implemented security measures due to fears of mass violence.

Pardo posted her $75,000 bail shortly after her arrest and is on house arrest with a GPS device. She is scheduled to appear in court on July 17. Her son has also been arrested and is now facing terrorism charges, being held in a juvenile detention facility.

The principal of Rhodes Middle School, Felismina Martinez, reassured parents that the school takes all potential threats seriously and is committed to maintaining a safe environment for students and staff.