Detectives detain teen over alleged online threat
Sixteen-year-old student accused of posting on Instagram that he was going to bring AK-47 to school
Detectives investigating an Instagram threat to “bring an AK-47” to school noting it “looks like there might be another school shooting” detained a 16-year-old boy on suspicion that he posted the threat.
“The suspected charge is making a criminal threat,” Shirley Miller, spokeswoman for the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, said.
“Detectives went to the student’s house and there were no weapons found,” she said.
The suspect, who cannot be named under state law because he’s a juvenile, was described only as a Santa Clarita Valley student.
The Instagram threat he is alleged to have posted Thursday night resulted in some parents angered over not being notified by the school Friday morning, provoking many of them to pull their kids from class.
The threat—a copy of which has been obtained by The Signal—was directed at Golden Valley High School, according to concerned parents of students there.
A check with the SCV Sheriff’s Station revealed that deputies received word of the threat, and “are handling it.”
Sgt. Scott Shoemaker
told The Signal: “It’s being handled by our school deputy.”
More deputies were dispatched to the school at around 10 a.m. on Friday.
“We are researching and investigating the post,” Miller said.
School officials sent parents an email after school began
Friday, explaining the threat and the school’s response to it.
“As soon as we became aware of the threat—as we do anytime there is a threat on social media—we immediately notified the sheriff’s,” Dave Caldwell, spokesman for the William S. Hart Union High School District, told The Signal. “And, we will help them in any kind of investigation.”
The Signal is still trying to verify if the Instagram threat is
the same one received by school officials, but school officials have not yet returned phone messages left with the principal.
An Instagram account called “gvhssecrets” apparently copied the threat and alerted others about it.
The threat reads: “I’m going to kill (first name) f----- (second name) because he’s always trying to act smart and badass and s---. If he sees this, I will bring an AK-47 to f---- kill him.
Looks like there might be another school shooting. (finger emoji) Can’t wait to kill that f----.”
The mother of one Golden Valley High School student said she and at least five other moms are keeping their kids from school today.
A second woman, frustrated over receiving no information about the threat, went to the school and pulled her daughter out of class.
“There was one cop car there,” she said, regarding what she saw when she picked up her daughter.
The school district invites anyone to convey concerns about any perceived threat they become aware of through Texta-Tip which in this case would be texts to 661-375-7297.