Making threats of violence is generally illegal, particularly if they’re specific threats. Yet even generalized threats can and should be taken seriously, especially in this day and age of mass shootings every month or so.

In California, a man decided to issue threats in his workplace.

Now, we all know how this is a no-no. Even if it weren’t illegal, it’s a very good way to get fired. Yet it’s also illegal as hell.

So, the police were called, and their findings were interesting.

A threat of workplace violence resulted in an arrest and the discovery of a stash of ghost guns at a Riverside County home, authorities said.

Deputies responded Tuesday to a business in the 5000 block of Goodman Way in Eastvale after receiving a report of a threat made by an employee. Details about the threat were not immediately available.

The 43-year-old Apple Valley resident made “concerning statements” regarding violence to other employees, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said. The suspect was arrested at the business.

A search of the man’s home uncovered a cache of un-serialized firearms, commonly known as ghost guns, high capacity magazines and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, the sheriff’s department said. Deputies said a preliminary investigation suggests the man was manufacturing ghost guns at the home.

The man was arrested and charged with the threats and weapons violations and is currently being held on a $1 million bond.

I’m going to guess he doesn’t have that kind of money.

First, let’s note all of the things illegal under California law that the man had anyway. So much for gun control, eh?

However, I want to focus on something different. I mean, we all know gun control doesn’t work, so that’s not really hitting new territory.

Instead, I want to focus on the threats of violence and how people responded.

You see, this had the potential to be a mass shooting. Had the guy simply been fired for his comments, he may have brought those guns to the workplace and created the kind of situation I don’t like writing about, though I have way too much practice at doing so.

Mass shootings often don’t just happen out of the blue. How many times have we seen people talking about the warning signs, only no one did anything? No one issued a report for the police to take a look?

Yet despite everyone dropping the ball time and time again, instead of pushing an effort for people to report these threats, we got things like red flag laws.

Violence doesn’t always involve direct threats, obviously, but when it does, it should be reported so law enforcement can at least look into it.

In this case, they did.

As a result, I’m writing precisely one story about this guy, not a dozen about how gun control failed to stop a mass shooting.

I mean, gun control still failed, but people didn’t, and that’s why this is a one-off story that we’ll all soon forget about.

Sounds to me like that’s the approach we need to take for mass shootings in the future.