Two teens arrested following Snapchat school threat
Two students have been arrested after they made threats of a school shooter at Somerton Middle School on Tuesday, according to the Somerton Police Department.
SPD received a call from a concerned parent stating their child received threats on Snapchat saying “don’t come to school, school shooter.”
SPD said the message was sent to several students in a group chat
As a precaution, officers were dispatched to the campus.
“I think the biggest thing for our students and for anybody that’s listening is these threats are taken very seriously,” said Jose Moreno, Somerton Middle School principal.
A 13-year-old male and female were arrested in connection to the threat and admitted that the messages were just a hoax.
SPD searched the homes of both students and no evidence of weapons was obtained.
“The people involved were apprehended before classes started. It was taken care of before our students entered the classrooms. The people that had made those threats were actually already identified and we were dealing with them as the morning got off,” said Moreno.
He said this is why parents were not immediately notified.
Classes were not interrupted, however , the students in the group chat remained home as a result of the threat.
Both 13-year-old students are being booked into the Yuma County Juvenile Detention Facility on one count of “Disruption of an Educational Institution, a Class 6 Felony.”
If you have any information that might help detectives solve this case, please contact Somerton Police at (928) 722-7300 or 78-Crime at (928) 782-7463 to remain anonymous.
