In what authorities are calling one of the most disturbing cases of parental complicity in recent U.S. history, **33‑year‑old Ashley Rosalinda Pardo**, a San Antonio mother, is accused of **aiding her 13‑year‑old son** as he allegedly plotted a mass shooting at **Jeremiah Rhodes Middle School**, reportedly rewarding him with tactical gear and ammunition in exchange for babysitting his younger siblings UNILAD lays out case details and **People** published the chilling affidavit summary reporting her suspected role.
Police say they first became aware of troubling behavior in **January 2025**, when the boy’s school counselors were shown disturbing drawings—a map of Rhodes Middle School labeled with “suicide route” and armed imagery. That same month, reports surfaced of his fascination with past mass shooters and their manifestos. In **April**, the teen was suspended for using a school-issued computer to research the **Christchurch mosque shooter**—a radicalization red flag that triggered CPS and police engagement via People’s summary and **Express News** traces the escalating intervention attempts on prior warnings.
“The mom bought her son ammo and gear ‘as a reward’—even though authorities had already flagged violent intent.”
Investigators allege that in **May**, Pardo took her son to a surplus store and purchased **live ammunition, magazines, a tactical vest, helmet, and camo clothing**—all while knowing he planned violence. According to the affidavit, she justified the purchases by saying her son babysat his siblings in exchange The Sun covers the babysitting backstory and **People** details the commerce of terror gear in court evidence reporting.
On **May 12**, the teen reportedly showed up at school wearing a mask, tactical pants, and camo jacket—prompting immediate lockdown protocols. He left campus shortly after and was detained off-site hours later. He is now held under juvenile terrorism charges, a rare application of a Texas law established in 2023 UNILAD on the arrest details and **People** on the teen’s charges on the terrorism charge context.
Alarmed, the teen’s grandmother called authorities the morning of his arrest after finding him repeatedly hammering a live bullet and telling her he was “going to be famous.” Inside his room, police discovered **loaded magazines**, a homemade **IED** inscribed “for Brenton Tarrant,” a swastika and “14 Words” slogan, and a handwritten list of mass shooters and their victim counts as UNILAD highlights and **People** corroborates in affidavit revelations.
Pardo, meanwhile, was detained and became the **first person in Bexar County—and possibly the U.S.** formally charged with **aiding the commission of terrorism** for arming a minor with intent to commit violent mass targeting at school. She posted a **$75,000 bond**, was placed under house arrest with GPS monitoring, barred from contacting her children or any Bexar County school, and prohibited from possessing weapons or alcohol Express News outlines bond conditions and **UNILAD reports expanded restrictions** on legal limits.
In early **August**, Pardo was rearrested on a new felony charge: **child endangerment with criminal negligence**. Authorities uncovered a 2023 photograph on her phone depicting her pointing a shotgun at her then‑11‑month‑old daughter—finger inside the trigger guard, captioned with the word “brat” in a message to the child’s father. A judge set a separate **$45,000 bond**, ordered full GPS monitoring, and reinforced her prohibition from drugs, alcohol, firearms, or any contact with her children Express News on new charges and **UNILAD’s legal update** on escalation of charges.
Residents and nearby parents remain deeply shaken. Rhodes Middle School—only a 15‑minute drive from central San Antonio—has increased security measures, canceled backpacks at campus gates, and kept counselors on stand-by after Principal Felismina Martinez confirmed the terrifying partial-on-campus incident in a public letter to families as reported by UNILAD and **Express News quotes the principal’s message** on school policies.
Legal experts warn that Pardo’s willingness to support her son’s violent fantasies in exchange for babysitting compensation—and after repeated interventions by authorities—may establish new legal precedent on parental accountability in terrorism-related juvenile cases as covered in court commentary and **strategic analysis from UNILAD** on rarity of maternal terror charges.
Both Pardo and her son are scheduled for **future court proceedings**—the teen’s next hearing is set for **August 7**, while Pardo is expected to appear again **July 17**, where additional charges or plea stages may unfold People outlines upcoming dates and **Express News provides timeline context** on bond reviews.
This case starkly highlights the interplay of **radicalization, juvenile vulnerability**, and **parental responsibility**. That a mother allegedly shepherded her child toward mass violence—rewarding him for bombing-inclined behavior—is both legally unprecedented in Bexar County and deeply disturbing. As the courts move forward, authorities and community leaders say the aim is clear: prevent tragedy and set deterrence precedent before schools become battlegrounds.
