Kristopher clay
© Courtesy of the Medford Police Department
A high school custodian in Medford, Oregon, has been arrested for allegedly planning a mass shooting.

The Medford Police Department said in a press release that 24-year-old Kristopher Clay came to the police station on July 20 saying he was having "homicidal thoughts" that he planned to act on.

Clay, a custodian at South Medford High School, was then taken by an officer to the Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center's Behavioral Health Unit.

Jackson County authorities started an investigation, and they found that Clay was in possession of firearms, ammunition, tactical gear and written material. Police said Clay got the weapons through various channels, as he wasn't allowed to possess firearms due to a court order.

"The investigation indicated Clay made significant steps to carry out a mass casualty event," the police department said.

Clay was arrested on August 4. He has been charged with attempted murder, attempted assault, attempted unlawful use of a weapon, tampering with evidence and disorderly conduct. He has no prior convictions.

Clay's bail is set at $127,500.

"It should be noted that Clay was in protective custody up to the point he was placed under arrest," the police said. "The Medford Police Department would like to thank the many agencies involved in this case, and we are relieved a potentially catastrophic event was prevented."

Clay has been fired by the school, and the police conducted a sweep of the high school to ensure there were no active threats.

Newsweek reached out to the police department and the Medford School District for additional comment but did not receive a response before publication.

Shootings have surged across the country this year. According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been more than 12,000 homicides from gun violence and 410 mass shooting events. The archive defines a mass shooting as a minimum of four victims shot, either injured or killed.

Portland, Oregon, has experienced a high rate of gun violence this year. Portland Police Bureau Lieutenant Greg Pashley told Oregon Live that the city has seen roughly 600 shootings in the first half of 2021.

The news outlet found that Portland is on track to have more homicides this year than any previous year. Fifty homicides had been reported as of July 1, an Oregon Live analysis found. Last year, a total of 55 homicides were reported.

In mid-July, after two shootings in one night left two people dead and seven others injured, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler called the gun violence a "pandemic."