Parents in Texas are reeling after a summer camp counselor reportedly threatened to carry out a mass killing of children under his charge if they irritated him.
Camp counselor arrested for heinous threats
Mario Bernal, 23, is facing serious charges after allegedly vowing to “create the next Columbine shooting” while working at Camp Cho-Yeh, a Christian summer camp in Livingston, Texas.
According to law enforcement documents, Bernal made repeated threats referencing the 1999 Columbine massacre, which left 13 dead and over 20 wounded.
He allegedly told children that if they were to “p**s him off,” he would follow through with his violent threats.
When camp staff moved to terminate his employment, Bernal reportedly warned them that he would “clock himself out” and “not go down by himself.”
A 23-year-old ex-counselor was arrested after allegedly threatening to recreate the Columbine shooting if fired from a Christian summer camp in Livingston, TX. Mario Bernal, accused of mistreating children, was caught by police near Camp Cho-Yeh. (FOX) pic.twitter.com/IM4FfrB9Nm
— NTC Report (@NTC_Report) June 26, 2025
Officials claim he issued another warning that if the camp attempted any legal action against him, he would turn the facility into “another Columbine.”
Bernal was already under scrutiny for reportedly locking campers inside a hot room as punishment and refusing to let them leave.
Witnesses told police that Bernal was attempting to flee the area with his girlfriend, another employee at the camp.
He was stopped by police near the camp entrance and taken into custody by Livingston Police before being turned over to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, which is heading the investigation.
He now faces charges of making terroristic threats that interfere with public services.
Bernal is being held on a $50,000 bond in Polk County Jail. ABC13 later confirmed that he had been transferred to a facility in Louisiana.
Suspect charged with another crime
Adding to his legal situation, Bernal is also facing separate sexual assault charges.
He allegedly forcibly kissed and touched a woman in a car, despite her repeatedly asking him to stop.
That incident reportedly occurred in March, with charges officially filed in May.
Parents of children attending Camp Cho-Yeh have voiced their disbelief.
“The biggest concern was how we as parents can keep track of what his incarceration status is because my fear was he would be released, and in that case I’d have to show up at camp and pick my kid up,” one mother said.
The woman also revealed her efforts to ensure Bernal remained behind bars.
“I actually called early on the day Monday the Polk County district attorney to see if they were able to raise that bail from $50,000 given the information I found about his other charges,” she explained.
In a statement issued by Camp Cho-Yeh, the organization said every employee undergoes a rigorous hiring process.
This includes an interview, two references, and a detailed background check.
According to the camp, Bernal’s screening showed no red flags when it was conducted on May 2.
Background checks failed to identify criminal camp counselors
Still, concerns are growing about the effectiveness of background checks in identifying potential predators before they gain access to vulnerable youth.
In Arkansas, Alexander Baiza, 22, of Olathe, Kansas, a former counselor at Camp War Eagle, pleaded guilty in February to two counts of sexual indecency with a child.
He was sentenced to three years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections, with an additional three-year suspended sentence.
According to court records, Baiza was also facing a charge involving child pornography, though prosecutors dropped it as part of a plea deal. He has been ordered to register as a sex offender.
Fayetteville police began investigating Baiza after a parent reported inappropriate messages between their child and the counselor.
The messages reportedly included sexually explicit content, including nude images in which Baiza’s face was visible.
Baiza allegedly asked the child for nude photographs on multiple occasions and received at least nine.
In a recorded phone call, Baiza admitted he knew the child’s age and acknowledged his actions were wrong.
He was arrested in Iowa on March 28, following a warrant issued earlier that month.
In Illinois, 22-year-old Bradley Trickler was arrested on May 29 on charges of possessing child pornography.
Investigators say the probe began in February after receiving a tip from the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Detectives said that during a search, they found a device containing evidence of child pornography.
Trickler was employed as a counselor at the YMCA of Rock River Valley’s Camp Winnebago.
He too passed a background check, according to a statement from the YMCA. He was terminated immediately following his arrest.
Meanwhile, in Washington state, Redmond Police arrested Leonardo Louie, 18, in September after he allegedly molested two children during a YMCA summer camp.
Louie, a camp counselor for the YMCA of Greater Seattle, now faces two counts of first-degree child molestation.
Police say the abuse occurred between July 8 and August 23.
The organization confirmed that Louie passed all standard background screenings and had completed the required child protection training.
“All background checks on this staff member came back clean,” a YMCA spokesperson said.
Most recently, Â another camp counselor was arrested on Friday for allegedly molesting a child at an Orange County summer camp.
The family of a child attending the camp told the Maitland Police Department that there was “inappropriate contact.”
Mahlyk Kordale Poole, 21 was arrested and charged with lewd or lascivious molestation of a victim younger than 12 years old.
