
Nathaniel Michael Carrasco is a 22-year-old San Antonio man accused of using an Anthropic artificial-intelligence chatbot to discuss carrying out a mass shooting at Serna Elementary School in North East Independent School District. Investigators say Carrasco repeatedly wrote about obtaining a gun, killing children at the school and making sure there would be “no escape.” The FBI alerted local authorities on August 28, 2026, and investigators used cellphone, internet and Google account records to identify Carrasco. He was arrested on August 29 and charged with making a terroristic threat, a third-degree felony. His bond was set at $250,000.
Nathaniel Michael Carrasco Arrest
Carrasco Was Arrested On August 29, 2026. San Antonio police took the 22-year-old into custody after investigators linked him to threatening AI-chat queries involving Serna Elementary School. [San Antonio Express-News] [KTSA]
Carrasco Was Booked Into The Bexar County Jail. Bexar County magistrate records list Nathaniel Michael Carrasco under booking number B202635285. [Bexar County]
A Judge Set Carrasco’s Bond At $250,000. He remained jailed in lieu of that amount in the first reports following his arrest. [San Antonio Express-News] [Univision]
Terroristic Threat Charge
Carrasco Is Charged With Making A Terroristic Threat. Authorities filed the offense as a third-degree felony involving a threat intended to place the public in fear of serious bodily injury. [KTSA] [WBAP]
No Shooting Occurred. Authorities have not reported any injuries or said Carrasco carried out an attack at the school. [WBAP]
Anthropic AI Chat Allegations
Investigators Say Carrasco Used An Anthropic AI Chatbot On August 11. The arrest affidavit accuses him of making multiple queries threatening school-age children through the artificial-intelligence service. [San Antonio Express-News] [Univision]
Carrasco Allegedly Said He Planned To Obtain A Gun. According to the affidavit, he wrote that he intended to get a firearm as soon as possible and then enter Serna Elementary School when classes began. [San Antonio Express-News]
He Allegedly Said He Wanted To Shoot Children At The School. Investigators say Carrasco explicitly named Serna Elementary while describing a planned attack. [Univision] [WBAP]
Carrasco Allegedly Searched For Graphic Images Of Dead Schoolchildren. The affidavit says one query asked the chatbot to find images involving dead children bleeding at a school. [Univision]
Investigators Say Carrasco Repeatedly Insisted His Threats Were Serious. The affidavit attributes statements to him saying he truly meant the threats and would do everything in his power to make the scenario happen. [San Antonio Express-News] [Univision]
“There Shall Be No Escape”
Carrasco Allegedly Wrote That There Would Be “No Escape.” Court reporting says he used language indicating that potential victims would not be able to get away from the planned attack. [San Antonio Express-News] [Univision]
Serna Elementary School
Serna Elementary Is Part Of North East ISD. The school is located near Loop 410 and Perrin Beitel Road on San Antonio’s Northeast Side. [San Antonio Express-News]
Carrasco Lived Near The School. Investigators said the address associated with him was adjacent to or very close to Serna Elementary. [San Antonio Express-News] [Hoodline]
The Alleged Messages Were Sent Before The New School Year Began. North East ISD started classes on August 17, six days after the August 11 AI-chat activity described in the affidavit. [WBAP]
FBI Alerts San Antonio Authorities
The FBI’s National Threat Operations Section Alerted Local Authorities On August 28. According to the affidavit, federal authorities notified the Southwest Texas Fusion Center about the threatening queries approximately 17 days after they were allegedly made. [WBAP] [San Antonio Express-News]
The Public Record Does Not Explain Exactly How The FBI First Learned Of The Chats. Current reporting does not establish whether Anthropic itself made the initial report or whether the information reached the FBI through another process. [WBAP]
Investigators Trace AI Account To Carrasco
Investigators Used Emergency Data Requests To Identify The User. Authorities sought records from T-Mobile, Charter Communications and Google as they attempted to determine who was responsible for the threatening account activity. [WBAP]
Phone Records Helped Link The Account To Carrasco. Investigators say an associated telephone number led them toward his identity. [San Antonio Express-News]
Internet Records Also Connected The Activity To His Residence. Authorities used IP-address information and residential records during the investigation. [WBAP]
Google Account Information Provided Additional Identification Evidence. Reporting on the affidavit says investigators also used Google records when connecting the messages to Carrasco. [Univision]
North East ISD Response
North East ISD Says It Was Initially Told Only About A General School Threat. A district spokesperson said San Antonio police notified officials on Sunday about a person who had made a general threat against “a school” and told them Carrasco lived near Serna Elementary. [KSAT via NBTX News]
The District Said It Was Not Initially Told That Serna Had Been Specifically Named. North East ISD said it learned after Carrasco’s arrest that the elementary school had been directly referenced in the alleged AI messages. [KSAT via NBTX News]
Additional District Police Were Sent To Serna Elementary As A Precaution. North East ISD deployed police officers and members of its safety and security team to the campus on Monday. [KSAT via NBTX News]
AI Chatbot Reporting Questions
The Arrest Has Raised Questions About How AI Companies Handle Threatening Conversations. Anthropic publicly states that it can respond to valid law-enforcement requests and may disclose information in emergency circumstances involving an imminent threat of death or serious physical injury. [WBAP]
The Arrest Affidavit Does Not Describe The Chatbot’s Responses To Carrasco. Publicly reported court records focus on Carrasco’s alleged prompts rather than detailing what the Anthropic system said back to him. [Hoodline]
Case Status
Carrasco Remains Accused Of One Third-Degree Felony. As of September 1, 2026, no additional criminal charges have been publicly announced. [KTSA]
A Pre-Indictment Hearing Is Scheduled For December 15. Current court reporting lists that date for Carrasco’s next significant proceeding. [KSAT via NBTX News]
Carrasco Has Not Been Convicted. The statements described in the arrest affidavit and the terroristic-threat charge remain allegations that must be proven in court.
One of the first political bloggers in the world, Oliver Willis has operated OliverWillis.com since 2000. Contributor at Media Matters for America and The American Independent. Follow on Twitter at @owillis. Full bio.