New York man pleads not guilty after saying he would shoot up a school

CASPER (WNE) — The case of a man who called 911 to report that he was going to shoot up several locations — including a mission, Walmart, high school and the Natrona County Library — was taken up in court recently as officials sought to determine if he should stand trial.

On June 22, 2023, police arrested Bryce Montesdeoca at the Central Wyoming Rescue Mission in Casper, where he had been staying since his recent move from New York.

Montesdeoca had a 9 mm pistol he claimed to have obtained “off the street” in New York, according to the affidavit.

He was charged with possession of a deadly weapon with unlawful intent. The felony charge is punishable by up to five years in prison, a fine of $1,000 or both.

Montesdeoca pleaded not guilty, according to media reports.

He told police that his reasons for choosing these four locations were due to experiences he had with workers or youth in general.

Just prior to calling 911, Montesdeoca was told he had to leave the mission because he had not been doing his chores. According to the court documents, Montesdeoca told police that he was waiting outside of the mission for one of the workers to come out so that he could shoot him.

The Walmart and high school were chosen based on proximity to the mission, according to Montesdeoca’s statement.

Montesdeoca told police he called 911 because he wanted to give the officers a chance to “be a hero.”

He had been in Casper for less than a month, according to court documents, and told police that he chose Casper after researching crime rates and gangs.

This story was published on August 13, 2024.