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OROVILLE — The student who held hostages for more than an hour at Las Plumas High School will face attempted murder and other charges, District Attorney Mike Ramsey told the Enterprise-Record this afternoon.
Ramsey said the investigation into the incident revealed 17-year-old Greg Wright brought a pistol to school to kill a romantic rival.
When the other boy couldn't be found, Wright went to the band room — expecting to find it empty — with the intent to kill himself, Ramsey continued.
When he instead found some 26 people, including at least one teacher, the hostage drama ensued.
Wright reportedly fired one or two shots into the ceiling upon entering the room at about 9:15 a.
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The campus was quickly placed in lockdown, and lawmen from several agencies converged. The Butte County Sheriff's Office SWAT team was assembled at the scene.
School resource officer Will Brewton, a trained hostage negotiator, began talking with Wright via a cell phone. Over time, all but three of the students in the room were allowed to leave. They also were released at about 10:40 a.m., and Wright was taken into custody.
As the drama unfolded, Nazarene Church, across a field from Las Plumas, was used as a gathering place for parents to reunite with their kids, as well as an incident command center for media, law enforcement and crisis volunteers.
One parent, Robert Roberts, was extremely close to the situation as the alleged gunman is Roberts' stepson, the tearful parent said.
Wright's involvement had not been confirmed by law enforcement by 1:30 p.m., but he had also been identified by parents of students who were in the bandroom.
"The school called me," Roberts said, as he milled about in front of the church along with scores of other parents at about 10:30 a.m. "They told me to come down in case there was anything I could do to help. I heard he had a gun"
Roberts had yet to speak to Wright at the time, but believed his wife and stepdaughter were called in to help the negotiation team. The stepdaughter, Tasha Wright, is a year younger than Greg, and also goes to Las Plumas, Roberts said.
"I know he had been in a little trouble in school, but I've never seen anything like this," Roberts said.
Roberts said the boy spent a few years in Oklahoma before returning to this area last year. He said it was his understanding Wright broke up with his girlfriend a few days ago and that he was upset about it, though he couldn't speculate that this incident was connected to the breakup.
A cheer went up from the parents at the Nazarene Church when word was passed to them the crisis had ended.
Sheriff's officials reported all of the hostages had been accounted for and there were no injuries.
After hearing news that Wright was in custody, Roberts said, "Well, they got him. Everybody's safe and he's safe."
Ramsey said in addition to attempted murder charges, he will be seeking charges of false imprisonment and bringing a gun onto campus. A decision on whether to try Wright as a juvenile or and adult will be made next week.
Besides LP, both the Oroville Elementary School District and the Palermo School District were also in lockdown, even though there were no specific threats in those locations.
A 17-year-old high school student was arrested after holding a high school class hostage in Oroville, California. The gunman had reportedly planned to shoot a romantic rival, but been stymied when he couldn't find the other youth.

Entering a classroom he expected to find empty, intending to commit suicide, the student discovered a class in progress -  and instead fired several shots in to the air and decided to instigate a hostage situation, seizing the 25 students and their substitute teacher.  

Thirty minutes into the crisis, speaking by cellphone with a hostage negotiator, the student had agreed to release nearly all the hostages, except three students and the teacher.

After about an hour, the student surrendered and the situation ended peacefully. 

The student has been charged with attempted murder, forcible confinement and bringing a gun to school.

The situation occurred exactly one year and one day after another hostage situation in Colorado.