A Perth teenager who sparked fears of an American-style school shooting has pleaded guilty to endangering the lives of staff and students at a northern suburbs college by firing gunshots at buildings.

The 15-year-old boy, who cannot be identified, was taken into custody in dramatic circumstances in May after getting access to two of his father’s licensed rifles and ammunition and driving to Atlantis Beach Baptist College.

He fired three shots at school buildings, in what then-premier Mark McGowan likened to “the sort of thing you see on television in the United States”.

Two of the bullets hit buildings, one of them a demountable classroom with a teacher and student inside.

A third charge of endangering safety was discontinued because the bullet went into the ground. 

Another charge of possessing a gel blaster was also dropped.

In total, the boy pleaded guilty to eight charges, including driving without a licence and possessing a prohibited weapon.

The school was placed in immediate lockdown and staff and students sheltered in classrooms until police gave the all-clear.

Guns found in car

Body camera footage released by police at the time showed the teen, a former student at the school, being handcuffed by officers who then searched his vehicle, finding guns inside.

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Today the teenager faced the Perth Children’s Court, accompanied his parents.

Previous court hearings have been told that after firing the shots, the boy telephoned triple-0 and told the operator he had been “going to kill people”, but stopped shooting because he did not want his siblings to be related to a killer.

The court was also told in the weeks before the shootings the boy, a former student, had conducted internet searches for things like “firearm shootings”.

He also spoke to a friend about school shootings in America.

The boy spent about five days in custody in the troubled Banksia Hill Detention Centre before being granted bail, first to a special youth hostel. He was later allowed to return to his family home.