POLICE GUARD SCHOOLS AFTER THREAT, ARREST
Former student charged in connection with social media post about committing violence
Police were stationed in each of the Onteora schools Thursday following the arrest of a former student who authorities said posted a threat of school violence on social media.
The suspect, Henry Reilly, 23, of Woodstock, was arrested at 4:28 a.m. and charged with one felony count of making a terroristic threat, according to state police.
Reilly was sent to the Ulster County Jail in lieu $50,000 bail, a jail officer said.
Onteora parents were notified Thursday morning via email and a notice posted on the district’s website that because of the threat, and “out of an abundance of caution and to provide reassurance to students, staff and parents,” arrangements were made to have a police presence at each of the district’s schools on Thursday.
Onteora Superintendent Victoria McLaren said police received numerous calls from community members on Wednesday reporting the online threat.
“Law enforcement immediately investigated the threat and worked for several hours to locate this individual,” she wrote in her notice. “Early this morning, he was located and taken into custody.”
State police said Reilly was arrested after an investigation determined he posted a threatening message on social media about initiating school violence. Police said he did not cite a specific school, either online or when interviewed by investigators. There are four school buildings in the Onteora district — the middle/senior high school on Route 28 in Boiceville; Bennett Elementary School, on the same property; and elementary schools on Route 375 in Woodstock and Route 214 in Phoenicia.
McLaren did not say if the threat was made against a specific school, though she commended callers for their vigilance in reporting the threat to authorities.
“It is so important that anyone who sees a threat report it immediately so that we can work with law enforcement to take the appropriate steps to keep our schools safe,” she said. “We are fortunate, that through the efforts of our local-law enforcement professionals, this individual was located so quickly and that we can move forward knowing that this is situation has been resolved.”
Reilly’s arrest came two days after a Saugerties High School student who praised the Columbine High School killers on social media was charged, along with his father, for weapons-related crimes.
There also have been arrests this week for threats against schools in the Dutchess County towns Pine Plains and Hyde Park, and city of Poughkeepsie schools were closed Wednesday and Thursday due to threats.
Schools across the county have been on heightened alert since 17 people were killed in a mass shooting Feb. 14 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. The suspect in that case, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, had been expelled from the school.