Cops: Suspects Natick Sands and Ryan Ringuette plotted school shooting

Two former students of Attleboro High School were arrested on Monday after reportedly discussing on Facebook how they would carry out a Columbine-style shooting at the school.

Natick Sands, 18, and Ryan Ringuette, 20, both of Attleboro, were arrested following an investigation by police and school officials. Both face charges of threatened use of a dangerous weapon at a school.

If convicted as charged, the suspects face a minimum of three years in a state prison or a minimum of six months in a county jail. The penalty also calls for fines of between $1,000 and $50,000.

According to police, a current student of Attleboro High School saw the alleged discussion between Sands and Ringuette on Facebook and contacted school officials who immediately notified police.

Police responded to the school on Monday moing after leaing of the threats that the two men had made earlier in the day.

The alleged discussion took place on the individual Facebook pages of the former students. A specific target was not mentioned in the discussions, and school officials did not believe that anyone at the school was in imminent danger.

Sands and Ringuette will be arraigned on Tuesday in Attleboro District Court.