Teen allegedly told friend he'd wear Nazi symbol, shoot up Buchanan High graduation

The young man accused of threatening to shoot up tonight's graduation ceremony at Buchanan High remains locked up after a judge said he'll be held without bail pending a bail hearing Friday.

Kyle Dwelle, 18, has been charged with two felony counts of making criminal threats of death or great bodily injury.

Clovis police and Clovis Unified School District received a tip late Monday about the alleged threat. Dwelle was arrested without incident and was booked into the Fresno County Jail.

At an arraignment Thursday, prosecutor Andrew Janz said because Dwelle had a gun and tried to contact a gun dealer to get more guns, he is a threat to the community.

"The defendant fits the profile of a mass shooter," Janz told Judge John Gallagher. "He's a clear and present danger to the community."

Dwelle appears to have a history of mental illness, Janz said.

Court documents in a related civil case in which Clovis Unified sought a court order banning him from graduation include hints of mental illness. The civil case contains testimonials from three current and former Buchanan High students.

"He has spoken about his depression and supposed schizophrenia," one of the witnesses wrote.

He told that witness, a female, that he had driven drunk with a flask of alcohol, and was in possession of a handgun that he kept in the trunk of his car, the 12th-grade student wrote. "He plans on wearing a Nazi band the night of the graduation" and has "joked about shooting up different places with his gun," she wrote. Her name was blocked out.

Dwelle told her he had been verbally and physically abused at home, had contemplated suicide and attempted suicide several times and also "joked about shooting up different places with his gun."

Some of his co-workers had seen the gun after shifts, she said.

A second 12th grade girl wrote that a friend told her Dwelle "has stated he wants to shoot up several places including his work and the Buchanan graduation and keeps a gun in his car."

A co-worker wrote Dwelle "has stated on numerous occasions that he'd want to shoot up several locations. One of these locations includes Buchanan's graduation. He had shown my fellow co-workers the gun that is kept in the trunk of his car."

Also, she wrote, "he has made comments pertaining to the fact that he is suicidal and has nothing to lose."

She also said "he has told his co-workers that he has schizophrenia and has thoughts of murder and suicide."

Defense attorney Roger Nuttall said Dwelle has no criminal record and held a job, and is set to start a new job on Monday.

The threats are not serious, he said after the hearing.

"I see it as a lot of loose talk," Nuttall said. "He's not going to hurt anybody."

He said Dwelle will be evaluated by a mental health professional. Dwelle's family was in court Thursday and is supporting him, he said.

This story was originally published June 7, 2018 at 3:18 PM with the headline "Teen allegedly told friend he'd wear Nazi symbol, shoot up Buchanan High graduation."