Shawnee County Sheriff’s officials arrested a 12-year-old and confiscated a Glock airsoft pistol after the teen sent text messages containing information about a possible school shooting, Sheriff Brian C. Hill’s office said on Facebook late Friday afternoon.
The name of the teenager and the school involved were not published.
The sheriff’s office was contacted shortly before 8:45 p.m. Thursday by an “alert parent” who found photos and text messages on his child’s cellphone that suggested a possible school shooting, Hill said.
“The images and text messages reported by the alert parent were sent to her child from another juvenile’s cell phone,” he said. “Police officers were then able to confirm the identity of the juvenile responsible for sending the images and threatening text messages.”
Sheriff’s officials conducted an investigation, checked the boy’s home, interviewed the 12-year-old’s parents, seized a black Glock airsoft pistol, arrested the teen on criminal threat charges and transported him to the Shawnee County Juvenile Reception and Assessment Center, Hill said.
He encouraged parents to talk to their children “about the seriousness and possible consequences of such behavior.”
The circumstances are still being investigated, Hill said.
Contact Tim Hrenchir at [email protected] or 785-213-5934.
