A Texas mother is facing serious criminal charges after authorities say she helped her 13-year-old son plan a violent attack on his middle school. Ashley Rosalindo Pardo, of San Antonio, has been charged with making a firearm available for a criminal act, terrorism, and child endangerment—charges that paint a deeply disturbing portrait of maternal neglect and complicity.
The case began to unfold on July 29 when students and faculty at Rhodes Middle School noticed a young boy arriving on campus wearing a camouflage jacket, tactical pants, and a mask. Though he left the school shortly after arriving, police later arrested him off-campus. The incident might have passed quietly if not for one voice of concern: the boy’s grandmother.
According to court affidavits, the grandmother had contacted police earlier that day after discovering her grandson striking a live bullet with a hammer. The boy reportedly told her his mother had given him the ammunition, as well as the tactical gear he wore to school. When she later searched his room, she allegedly found more bullets and a makeshift explosive device wrapped in duct tape—one that referenced the 2019 mass shooting at a mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Perhaps most chilling was the boy’s statement before leaving the house: he allegedly told his grandmother he was “going to be famous.” Investigators were already aware of the child from a previous incident in January when school staff discovered disturbing drawings, including one labeled “suicide route” and a map of the school.
Pardo reportedly told police she wasn’t concerned about her son’s behavior. In fact, she admitted to buying the ammunition and tactical supplies in exchange for him babysitting his younger siblings.
Now out on bond for the terrorism charges, Pardo has been re-arrested on a new count of child endangerment stemming from a separate incident. Court records from March 2023 show she sent a photo of herself pointing a shotgun at an 11-month-old child’s head. The image was reportedly sent to the child’s biological father, with a message suggesting the infant was “being a brat.”
The escalating list of charges has shocked San Antonio residents and raised broader questions about how someone entrusted with children’s welfare could enable and participate in such dangerous behavior. Parents at Rhodes Middle School have expressed outrage and disbelief.
“What kind of mother does this?” one parent asked. “She gave him everything he needed to hurt someone.”
The case also highlights growing concerns about the role of adults in facilitating or ignoring early warning signs of violence in children. Mental health experts say a supportive family environment is one of the most critical factors in preventing adolescent violence. Instead, in this case, police allege the parent provided weapons and motivation.
Both mother and son remain in custody, and prosecutors say more charges may follow as the investigation continues. While the school community begins to recover from what could have been a devastating tragedy, questions linger about how this warning was missed—and what might have happened if the boy’s grandmother hadn’t spoken up.
