Revealed Terror Plot Leaves Riverside Community College Students On Edge
RIVERSIDE (CBSLA.com) — Enrique Marquez and Syed Farook planned to drop pipe bombs and shoot their fellow students from the second story of their college cafeteria or library, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court this week.
Jon'Erik Olson is a student at Riverside Community College, or RCC, where federal investigators say Marquez and Farook plotted a terror attack in 2011, a school they both attended.
"It's amazing that it happened so close to home," said Olson. "You read it in the paper and see it in the news, but so close to home, it really gets to you.
"It doesn't make sense. Why would we be a target especially since these guys came to this school?" faculty member Maureen Barley asked. "It's like, this is your school. What are you doing, like, wanting to bomb your school?"
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Marquez was arrested Thursday on three criminal charges, including providing material support for a terror attack and for providing the guns used in the attack back on Dec. 2 - but it's the other plans that were revealed that are also causing concern.
Student Patricia Guiterrez told CBS2/KCAL9's Crystal Cruz she's now guarded with strangers.
"I have a Friday class and not a lot of people on campus that day, and I had a young girl ask me a question," said Guiterrez. "I was cautious about her, but she just wanted to know where to take a placement test. You just never know nowadays."
RCC recently held an active shooter drill for their students - an exercise that provided students like Nico Diaz with invaluable information.
The first 10 minutes are crucial, and that's how long authorities take to get to an active shooter scene," Diaz said. "If you're with a group of people, one leader -- not everybody -- needs to plan what's going to happen."